If I Fell
by naturally morbid
Summary: Complete. AU Itachi x Hinata. She is Itachi's live-in housekeeper, invisible unless she is needed. But when Itachi needs her to pose as his fiancé, it sets them on a path for desire. Will it be fulfilled or will it end badly for both?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Well I have been reading a few romance novels lately, trying to find something light to read in between classes and because they're something I enjoy and quite wish to pursue for a living, when I picked up one that just sent the plot bunnies flying. I have to say that this story is rather inspired by it as it gave me the idea, though I think the idea has kind of been done before in different things. This will be an AU Itachi x Hinata multichaptered fic. That means they might be a bit OOC, which just happens when you change them from their world to another.

Some things about this fic and the first chapter: 1)This is my first time of using some Japanse honorifics and words in a story. Please excuse me if I have them wrong and such and please don't be afraid to give me the correct words.

2) She does use Naruto's last name, but they're not married or even connected in this story as is hopefully explained well enough. So please don't be surprised.

3) Feedback is always welcome, just please no flames, use constructive criticism meaning both good and bad elements of the story etc., which will help me be a better writer rather than just flaming which will discourage. Just something I thought I would mention. Enjoy.

**EDIT 2011**: I am taking out the Japanese words that appear in the first several chapters. I am leaving the honorifics as I like them. Get over it. Also correcting any spelling/grammar I didn't catch a million years ago when I wrote this. Thank you so much for all the support with this fic over the years though. I still smile every time someone comments or adds to their favorites.

Translations:

-sama is used for a person of respect

-san is like mr., ms, etc.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters. I do not own the title of the story, it belongs to the Beatles. I also don't own the full idea of the plot either.

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If I Fell

Chapter 1

_How_ _did I allow myself into this? _Hinata thought as she scrubbed the dark hardwood flooring. It was the undeniably the most boring and disgusting work that anyone could take on. Out of all the duties she was expected to perform, this was by far her least favorite and most put off job.

_But he wishes it so._ She stopped scrubbing for only a moment, noticing her reflection in the perfection below her. Her black locks were pulled up into a sorry excuse for a bun as her bangs, sweaty from the manual labor, stuck to her pale forehead.

The front door slammed before she could finish, signaling that her boss had finally arrived home from abroad. Struggling from the floor, using her hands and knees, listening to the muscles and bones protest, she took off the brilliant yellow gloves, leaving them on the side of the bucket as she headed for his office.

It was all terribly routine now to her and after two years of working for him as his live-in housekeeper and kind of secretary, it should have been. She wrung her hands, hoping she didn't smell of orange and disinfectant too much, as she headed for his private office at the end of the rather grim hallway.

The work she was doing was mostly like that of a servant, _just with a different name and a paycheck_, she added in her head. She tried to straighten out the ordinary and what could be classified as "ugly" clothing she wore, a button down work shirt with loose –fitting jeans, before she knocked on the heavy wooden oak doors.

"Come in," came his quiet and quick response as she turned the gold handle and let herself in. He was sprawled out in his favorite high-backed burgundy chair, his black tie already loose from the white shirt, tailored to his lean physique, his immaculate black blazer on the couch nearby.

He looked worn out, his usually calculating black eyes squeezed tight with tension and the hassle of traveling. From his body language, the way he was lounging, even the way he was breathing, she could tell that things had not gone well for Itachi.

"Can I get you something Itachi-sama?" she asked meekly. When she had first begun working for him, fresh from the agency and just in college, she had an almost crippling stutter and shy nature that she was sure Itachi was going to send her away from the start.

But he had not. In fact, she wasn't sure if he had even noticed, since he spent so much of his time away, making business deals, and reveling in his fame. Of course she had noticed everything about him. How could she not?

Itachi Uchiha was someone that everyone wanted to be, someone always in the public eye. He was wealthy, had a powerful last name, genius intellect, and natural good looks.

And she was hopelessly in love with him.

His hair was a sinful color of dark chocolate, cascading from a simple elastic band to a place just above his slim hips, the bangs parting down the middle and framing his thin but flawless face. His eyes were pure black pools of complexity that merely one emotion didn't even fall close to scratching the surface of, resting beneath long and thick lashes. His skin contrasted well in a color between tan and olive.

His lips were rarely pulled into anything other than a hint of a smile, being a man of hidden or nonexistent emotions. It was impossible to tell when he was actually angry about something if you did not spend much time with him. It made him appear ruthless to his opponents, a tactic he used to his advantage.

His neck was elegant, for either sex, giving way to a slimly muscled body, always dressed in name brand and tailored clothing, which always made him look like he had just stepped off the pages of _Vogue _or _Vanity Fair. _Hinata knew, she always handled them when they came home fresh from the cleaners while he way away. She shook her head, realizing that she had been consumed in her own thoughts instead of paying attention to him.

"Yes?" she asked again, earning herself something similar to a glare from him. It stung to be reprimanded by just barely a look, but she was careful not to let it show. It wasn't his fault that she had not been listening to him as she should have been.

"Hot green tea would be fine," he told her, closing his eyes once again. She nodded, retreating with barely a whisper of steps from his office to the spacious kitchen. She knew that hot meant as near boiling as she could possibly make it for him.

That was one of the first things he warned her about. She had served it to him the first night he had returned home from one of his trips, just as she did when she still lived with her cousin, Neji. He didn't spit it out, but he swallowed, his dark eyes flashing.

"Hinata-san, I understand that you may be new, but tea should always be served boiling at my home," he told her, shutting his eyes and avoiding her gaze with a natural air of superiority and dominance over her.

_"_Sorry," she bowed. "Itachi-sama."She had managed to not cry in front of him, though it had stung more than it should. She had straightened her shoulders as she briskly stepped back to the kitchen to prepare it again. The memory burned fresh every time he requested the tea, just to keep her from repeating the mistake again.

Itachi opened his eyes again just in time to see her disappear though the only slightly opened door, wordlessly as trained. Hinata had been working for him a long time, longer than the others he had hired in the past.

He recalled when he first hired her.

She had come to meet him first thing on a Monday morning. He had been working on an almost impossible stack of paperwork in his office when the dark bell resounded through the house to signal her arrival.

She had tried her hardest to leave the apartment she was sharing with her genius cousin, Neji Hyuuga. But her alarm clock had failed to disturb her fitful sleep, as she had been so nervous about her assignment to an Uchiha household that she had been unable to rest.

She wasn't terribly deviant from her scheduled eight o' clock time only by five minutes, but it was enough to give him an impression of how she might work out. He liked things to be precise and working in a manner, likened to a machine. Hinata just hadn't planned on missing the bus and having to run several blocks to catch it again in the chilly morning air.

He strode down the hall, his footfalls soft and almost inaudible as he headed for the door. Through the frosted glass, he could just make out the outline of a woman. He pulled the door open just enough to hear a gasp before he glanced down. His opening the door had scared her enough to produce the sound.

There was a girl, probably nearly twenty standing on his doorstep, pressing her index fingers together and blushing. Surely this was not the girl they had in mind for him. But she was, having been assigned that Friday previous Monday. Neji had taken her to the agency for a job after he had finished his Friday lab class.

"Yes?" he asked, not daring to open the door any further, should she be a member of the press or burglar, looking for a way in. She looked harmless enough, in fact, she looked fit to faint any second should he open the door more or speak above a whisper. She was dressed in an off-white hoodie, trimmed in faux fur, with slightly hugging sweat pants. Not very professional or intimidating really.

"A-are y-you U-U-Uchiha I-Itachi-s-san?" she stuttered, gazing up at him with huge lavender orbs. She was trembling from head to toe as blush overtook her cheeks. He was handsome, she knew. She had seen his name in the tabloids more than once, Neji always insisting that she quit wasting so much time on them.

"Yes. Who wants to know?"

"I-I'm the g-girl f-from t-the um…" She touched her index fingers a few times before answering, Itachi growing a little annoyed with her wasting his time in this manner. She hated that she couldn't remember the word and that she had to do something to try and remember.

"Agency?" he filled in coldly. She nodded, clearly ashamed of her inability to speak clearly. He wasn't completely without a heart though. The girl was clearly trying her best. His voice chilled her to the bone, but not enough to scare her away when she was so desperate to do a good job at her first job.

"Y-yes," she told him, bravely meeting his gaze.

"Come in then," he sighed, opening the door a little wider, enough to allow her slender body through, before shutting it tightly, should any press be hanging around. She was obedient though, only standing in the doorway until he asked her to move. Or did he mistake her obedience for fear at first?

Under the scrutiny of light from the glass door and the one above her head, he could see her clearly. Yes, she wasn't very threatening or beautiful, like the women he was often seen in the company of. She just wondered what he was staring so intently at, his arms crossed, and his body language clearly speaking "stay away from me."

Her hair was a dull color close to black or maybe purple, cut in something like the female version of a bowl cut with straight bangs and very short, the only thing different was the longer strands framing her face. It was maybe styled a little in the back too, or was that from sleeping on her back?

She was clearly uncomfortable as they stood there awkwardly. Her heart was pounding in her head and so fast her chest plate threatened to shatter. She shifted from foot to foot, unable to meet his piercing gaze. She was essentially nothing as far as status in social circles climbed.

"Your name?" She touched her index fingers together, which was beginning to irritate him more and more with each passing second. Had she forgotten her own name?

"Uzumaki Hinata," she told him. The name didn't strike him as odd and he didn't catch on to her lie. She had merely thought of the last name of her childhood crush that came to her the fastest. She wanted to keep her last name from him, to keep her family's shame under control. She was the black sheep after all, scorned from the ties forever. She would just be an employee. Her first name would do well.

"Hn. Fine, you will be addressed as Hinata-san, and you will not touch your fingers together," he said as he stepped within one foot of her personal space, his presence bearing down on her. She gulped, having never been in this close proximity of a man as beautiful as he was, taking her fingers apart and putting her hands behind her back.

He noted now that she didn't seem to do that anymore. In fact, the stutter had disappeared, probably within a month or two of her working for him. She wasn't that bad of a housekeeper for him. The house was always warm and occupied when he returned home, just like when he was a child, tea or something stronger offered should he need it, meals prepared, the place kept clean.

She was quiet too, minding her business most of the time. Of course, she had to see all sides of his personality, should he ever demonstrate one of them. She was obedient though, perfectly so, and reliable. He dismissed his thoughts, concentrating on the biggest one at hand, though it had to do with her and her obedience to him.

Hinata prepared the tea in the vast expanse of the kitchen. She could recall probably all the times she had seen Itachi use it on one slender hand. It was rather modern with its black tops and chrome appliances. It always felt cold when she was there alone, well really cold anytime, when she really pondered it.

She watched the bubbles rise from the bottom of the stainless steel pot before cutting the stove off and pouring the water into a teapot with the leaves, to seep for a few minutes. She recounted the number of times she had done this for him as well, and not just for him, but for his brother Sasuke when he would visit sometimes, or the girls that had slept over.

The girls were the worst to deal with. Most of them were powerful society icons such as pop singers or models, making the rounds in the magazines, social circles, and beds for that matter. She could only imagine how Itachi's skin would feel on hers as he would close in for a gentle but dominating and powerful kiss.

She could merely daydream about making love with her boss, her hot boss, she corrected, her gaze faraway. It made her quite jealous, she guessed, but she couldn't stop it. If asked, she couldn't say what it was exactly that drew her to the man.

He was cold, sure, but there was something warm under that exterior she was sure. She had seen a hint of it a few times. He had kept her on after all and he did love his brother. She did desire him, no matter how much she couldn't have him; like the carrot dangled in front of an ass' nose for work.

She brushed the thoughts off as she withdrew the leaves in their proper strainer and set up the tray to take to his office. How silly of her, to think that her boss would see her as anything higher than his servant once again.

This time she entered the office without knocking, finding Itachi still lounging but his eyes open, scanning some paperwork. She placed the tray on the table in front of him, pouring the scorching green liquid into the cup, and setting the teapot back on the wood with a small 'thump.'

From the way he was biting his lip, his worried and tired eyes scanning the papers, she knew something on the trip had failed to go as schedule. She hated to see him worry as it was never very good for his skin.

Should she ask what was going on, to step out of her normal bounds a little? Would he even tell her? She had been scrubbing the already polished floors enough that she felt a little change would never hurt. He looked up, wondering what she was still doing around.

"Is something wrong Itachi-sama?" she asked politely. Her simple but friendly question caught him off guard. She never butted into his personal life like this. Sometimes she would ask if a trip was productive or something, but this question denoted a type of familiarity that he never placed her on.

"Since when you do ask such personal questions Hinata-san?" he asked honestly. He watched her eyes flicker for an instant with pain. She was clearly concerned for his well being, like any human being would be, and he extinguished that with a question of his own.

"Sorry," she responded, casting her eyes downward, almost touching her index fingers together like she used to, but instead squaring her shoulders and spinning around to leave. She had work to do after all, where she could cry and no one would know it from sweat or dirty water. Her heart felt like it might break, though that happened more often than it should have.

"Wait," he called after her. Her gentle footfalls stopped but she did not turn around, clearly expecting another order from him. He winced inside a little; he wasn't intentionally so rude. It fluttered to life again. She was already trying to think of the stack of homework she had waiting for her once these tasks were done.

"Yes Itachi-sama?" Her voice was different though, very even and almost sad? The only places she went were to class, but she never spoke that he knew of. He was going to have to tell her soon though, as it did involve her, the paperwork he had been studying. He was also going to have to be nice to her, as his proposal involved her.

"Come back for a moment." He knew that she would follow his request, even as she hesitated and spun back around, approaching him. Her eyes were shining, but he tried to ignore that as she took the seat across from him. Was he going to fire her or something, she wondered.

"Yes?"

"On my latest business trip, I was offered a major share in a company," he said. She nodded, still not looking at him, waiting patiently on his every word. "But the trouble is that it is my family company. My father is giving up his share." As much as she knew about business, which was almost nothing, she understood that was a large thing. "But, he has turned it into a competition between my brother and myself," he sighed, rubbing his temples.

He looked to her, but she wasn't stopping him. "What this means is that he is going to give his part of the company to the brother that has the more successful life."

"Okay," she said, unable to deduct the trouble from that. As far as Itachi was concerned to her, he was successful, but she didn't voice this.

"He is looking for the brother who is more stable in relationships Hinata-san. The one that is more on his way to starting a family and settling down."

"Oh, I see." She understood fairly well. Her father had tried to make her inherit his line of dojos, but she had wished to attend college, more specifically Art College. That had ended in her being removed from the will and being disowned. Neji had never even been in the will and had promptly taken Hinata in, helping her get some type of aid, but she still needed the job.

"Well, not quite. You see Hinata-san, I need to ask something of you." He watched her lavender eyes grow to the size of dinner plates. His tea was growing cold, but he had to get this out of the way first.

"Okay," she nodded. He took a deep breath. He knew that she probably wouldn't refuse, but if she did, then it would be damn near impossible to try and find someone else for the job.

"I need you to be my fiancée," he told her. Had she heard right? Her heart fluttered, feeling as if it were going to flee from her chest cavity. He wanted her to be his fiancée?

"What?" she asked, feeling her throat close up some as the room started spinning.

"I need you to pretend to be my fiancée," he repeated a second time, anxious for her answer. He needed to know if he was going to have to ask his lawyer to find a replacement girl for the part and leave Hinata alone. She had heard him right and she wasn't dreaming as she scraped a fingernail on the bared skin of her arm.

"Excuse me," she responded before she promptly fell forward, her world going black, as Itachi watched her crash to the floor. She hadn't fainted since probably the first day.

X

**Author's Note: **So what is going to happen next? Like it? Love it? Review.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Thank you for all the feedback on chapter 1! I'm very excited that this seems to be going over well. Here is chapter two and I hope it is equally liked, though it is kind of filler. I hope no one is too out of character and I apologize if they are slightly.

Translations:

Same honorifics from last chapter.

**EDIT 2011**: I am taking out the Japanese words that appear in the first several chapters. I am leaving the honorifics as I like them. Get over it. Also correcting any spelling/grammar I didn't catch a million years ago when I wrote this. Thank you so much for all the support with this fic over the years though. I still smile every time someone comments or adds to their favorites.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters; Beatles own the title; no money is being made from this.

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If I Fell

Chapter 2

"Are you okay?" Hinata heard someone ask her. She thought that she was quite possible dreaming or that maybe she had finally breathed too much of the chemicals. Nevertheless, no, there was that luscious voice again asking was she okay.

"Hm?" She opened her large lavender eyes to find that she was in Itachi's arms. He wasn't smiling down at her, but his mouth wasn't in quite such a tight line. Hinata blushed quite deeply as he was holding her close to his taunt chest.

"Hinata-san, are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft, which was something unusual for him. He was quite worried about her well-being; she was an employee after all. She had been in danger of striking her head against the corner of the exquisite dark cherry coffee table. Blush covered both of her usually creamy cheeks as she gazed up at him with something similar to adoration.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered quickly as she stood up from his arms. She wished that she had been able to stay in that warmth just a little longer, against his lush body, with him concerned for her, but that was not her place. She was just his house-keeper with a very strange proposal.

"Then what is your answer Hinata-san? Or do you need time to think?" Did she need time to think about playing pretend fiancée? Well, maybe just a little. It wouldn't be a real relationship of course, just until the deal was signed. But did he know how close to real it was for her? No, probably not. She was just an object of convenience for him. But he had been very good to her the last two years. She sighed, albeit very quietly, hopefully enough that he wouldn't pick up on the longing.

"Yes Itachi-sama, I will do this," she bowed. Her heart was still pounding though; this was the closest she would probably ever come to fulfilling her daydreams.

"Excellent," he nodded, picking up the rather expensive cell phone he had thrown on the desk. "I will inform my lawyer right away. Take a seat through, as we have more to discuss Hinata-san." On wobbling legs, she resumed the seat she had taken before her episode, trying to avoid watching him.

Itachi turned away from the soon to be pretend fiancée as he dialed Hoshigaki Kisame. The whole thing had been his idea. They had come up with it over lunch in the hotel lobby before Itachi flew home.

"It is a perfect idea Itachi-sama," he smiled, his pointed teeth revealed. His opponents often referred to him as 'the shark.' "Your father will never have to know that you have no intention of settling down right now and you will have his share of the company," Kisame pointed out as he took a bite of his French salad. He was a staunch vegetarian.

"But who could we get that wouldn't try to dig her claws in me for the real deal?" he asked coldly. He had no intention of marrying one of the many icons that he shared a bed with when times got cold. Most of them were just after his family name or his fortune, which were really the same things. No, none of those girls would let him go and he didn't want to just hire some girl he didn't even know. He thought he had Kisame stumped as the other man chewed slowly and gazed up at the high glass ceiling.

"I have just the girl," he said finally. Itachi slumped in the chair a little, clearly not hungry and not interested in what Kisame was going to tell him. He was probably going to say 'no' to whatever ridiculous idea was buzzing around in that head of his. One of his slender hands rested against his cheek in a rather childish effort to keep himself propped up as the other drummed on the glass surface of the small table.

"Who Kisame-kun? What stupid girl are you going to dazzle me with now?"

"Your house-keeper, Hinata-san," he grinned. Itachi found himself falling out of the metal chair as he stared at Kisame's beaming face. Hinata-san? The same one who had worked for him for two years, cleaning and cooking?

"What_?" _he asked in disbelief. What the hell was Kisame thinking?

"Don't 'whatme," Kisame scoffed. "It's perfect, she's perfect."

"Kisame-kun, you've lost your mind," Itachi told him darkly, trying to regain some of his normally regal composure. "Hinata-san will never work." Was it really that she wouldn't work or was it he didn't want to think about how she could?

"And why not?"

"She is my house-keeper for Kami's sake!" he said, showing a little more emotion than usual. "She could never live up to the things in my world," he shook his head. No, she wasn't anything terribly special, just a college girl that lived with him and took care of the house. She had probably never been to a benefit party or visited those in the thrones of power.

"But Itachi-sama, she knows you the best. She's not one of those only trying to sleep with you and get your fortune girls," Kisame pointed out. "She takes care of your house while you're away and answers to you flawlessly. She could do it. Besides, she isn't ugly at all and it is rather like she is married to you now."

No matter how much Itachi wanted to dismiss Kisame's points, he couldn't. He wasn't left with too many options. It was either someone who only knew him for one evening of unrestrained passion or someone who saw him all the other times and had been there longer than any of the one-night stands.

"Alright Kisame-kun, you have a good point," he sighed, rubbing his temples, like it was going to do him any good. He was rarely defeated, but it felt like the weight of the world when he finally was. Kisame was the only one to do this to him. That's why he made such an excellent choice.

"Thank you Itachi-sama, I like to think I do every now and again. Now, you have to go through with making the whole thing look real, ring, social events, and meeting the family. I'll take care of the press, you just ask her. I'm certain she will agree."

Yes, Hinata-san had agreed just as Kisame had predicted, though Itachi couldn't help but feel the inklings of guilt as he waited for the other man to answer his phone. He glanced back around, but the girl was just sitting there quietly, as always.

At least she wasn't like the loud mouths he usually brought home with him. He kissed them just to shut them up about their idle worries, just to keep them from irritating him enough to send them home before the night was over, to keep them from pressuring him about a serious relationship or a ring. But still, he could see nothing exceptionally glamorous about her.

She always dressed in old clothing, which of course made sense when she was cleaning, but it seemed to be all the time. They were things like unisex shirts and sweatpants or loose jeans. Her hair had grown out from the short and rather masculine cut she had come to him with, only now it was pulled up in half-hearted buns, only half combed or stuck to her forehead as it was now. It was still a dull black, like she never gave it a lot of thought. She always seemed to avoid makeup of any sort, the paint on her face from the assignments she would try to finish for school.

Kisame-kun was right in that she wasn't ugly, but he just didn't see how she was going to transform into the girl he at least needed to impress everyone. The lawyer wasn't picking up his phone, but Itachi left a message anyway with the current information before he turned back to Hinata.

"Hinata-san," he addressed her, knowing that would have to change if they were to play the part correctly. "Do you have anyone that would protest you posing as my fiancée?" He wasn't asking because he cared but merely to keep away an angry boyfriend and to keep the press from simmering so much. She couldn't resist the surge of unhappiness that flushed through her after his question.

"No Itachi-sama," she answered, trying to keep the broken shards of heart from her voice. "There is no one." No, she didn't have a boyfriend. In fact, she had never had one to be perfectly honest with herself. In school she had always been too shy to work up the nerve to ask her one crush out, Naruto Uzumaki, the man whose family name she was borrowing.

Being painfully shy had its disadvantages like that. She missed out on great things like dates and heated make-out sessions, possibly even finding the one true love of her life. It wasn't like she hadn't tried, or Neji hadn't tried, just that she never seemed to have the strength or courage; which was why she was twenty-two and working as a house-keeper.

"Hn. Tomorrow, I am going to have you sent to a stylist of some kind to polish you up. Do you own any formal clothing?" They say you have to spend a little money to make a lot of money; this was a good investment he decided. He avoided saying something that would denote her as 'ugly.'

But still, his words left a rather stinging feeling burning within her. No, she and Neji shared clothing before she got her job and as she really hated to buy it on her own, since nothing seemed to fit as comfortably as worn out did. Plus, this wasn't a glamour job and she wasn't in school for something like that.

"No," she blushed. Itachi didn't seem to take notice though. She was scared of what polish would mean. Would she like who she was after tomorrow? Maybe she should have just told him 'no' and called off the whole thing. But then again, his kindness had been almost uncharacteristic. He just waved it off as he stroked his smooth chin.

"That's fine we'll take care of that tomorrow too. I'll be at a meeting but I'm going to set up an appointment for you and the car will pick you up. I'll be sure to let you know of the time."

"Thank you very much_,_" she nodded politely. This whole thing felt so surreal. Sure she read about them every now and again in romance novels or the lifestyle section of the newspaper, but she had never thought it existed until she was faced with it. She should probably call Neji to let him know. She hadn't called in a while anyway.

"Not at all_,_" Itachi said. "You're dismissed for now."

"Okay. I'll go start dinner." Before he could keep her there any longer, she disappeared through the heavy doors and into the hallway. She promptly leaned against the wall beside his office and tried to breathe. Her heart was pounding loud enough that it was threatening to escape again.

Sure she had grown accustomed to having Itachi as a boss and having little contact, but now she was feeling like she had her very first day, inexperienced and weak. She breathed deeply, trying to regain some of her professionalism as she made the journey back to the kitchen. He would probably stay in the office for at least dinner.

She couldn't get her mind to focus though, as she nearly burned the rice. She was going to be engaged to Itachi, the object of her affection for two years even if it was only pretend after all and she was going to have a makeover. When she got up that morning, she never saw that coming.

She heard soft footfalls behind her but her reaction was slow. She knew it was Itachi, but it was instinct to turn around just to make sure. With a wooden spoon in hand, Hinata turned around, smack into Itachi's clothed chest.

"Ah," she cried softly, as hot rice splattered on his skin. "So sorry_,_" she told him, not bothering to look up. She was sometimes careless, but never with food. She and never done anything like this and was scared half to death of his reaction.

"Hm?" He looked down, not even bothered by the strange behavior. He had just gotten out of the shower and decided to see if she was okay. He couldn't have her fainting if this was going to work. But it wasn't out of deep concern for her except as an employee.

He looked to the girl bowed down before him, the spoon on the floor and the food close to burning. His news must have distracted her as she was never like this. He had noticed the way that she operated when he was home.

"It's okay," he mumbled as he brushed it off over the sink. The girl looked up at him, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I'll handle this." Hinata was even more surprised. Just how stranger would this night get? Itachi rarely cooked dinner.

He took the spoon from her trembling hand, pointing toward the table for her to sit down. She closed her gaping mouth, keeping her hands on the table as she took one of the black metal chairs. The rice was burning only a little. Itachi scraped it off the bottom of the pot after he changed spoons.

It wasn't hurt too badly. He looked in the other pots on the stove. She was steaming vegetables and frying some type of fish. It all smelled wonderful, as always. Hinata was a great cook, Itachi noticed. Neji always missed her cooking for him.

"Itachi-sama, sorry," she whispered. She was still looking down at the top of the table. She hated her behavior. She couldn't remember even acting like this on her first day of the job.

"Hn, it is fine Hinata-san," he told her. He wasn't bothered. He actually rather missed cooking sometimes and Hinata needed a night off. It was fair after all, since she was going to do him a huge favor and hopefully land him the deal.

She nodded, but he could tell by her body language that she didn't believe him one bit. She was wringing her hands, trying not to touch her index fingers together. She felt like she was in high school again, living with her family, and suffering.

Her father just didn't understand that she was full of more artistic talent than business anyway. She had never passed a math class with high marks in any grade of school, she didn't like numbers, and she didn't like desks or planning or organizing. She just wasn't cut out for it like her younger sister Hanabi was.

Of course Hinata was the first heiress to the family business. She had been in the will since she was born, but then came Hanabi to really impress her strict father with her skills. Her younger sister was perfect, an almost spitting image of her father. Hinata was more like her poor dead mother.

She had never met her mother, the woman dying when she was still a baby. She had to wonder if that was part of the reason her father seemed to hate her, was that he thought her life had stolen her mother's. She was weak and quiet as opposed to Hanabi who was tough and loud.

So, when she got old enough and braver to tell her father that she wanted to do something else, they teamed against her and took her off the will. She had taken most of her core classes under her father's care, him expecting her to move onto business school.

She had kept contact with Neji through the years as they attended the same school. There was a time when they were first teenagers that he really seemed to hate her, but he had grown out of it. When her family gave her notice to get out, she did, and she went right to Neji.

Her part of the family had barely recognized him when her uncle died at a young age and Neji was forced into outside care because of a huge scandal. No wonder he had hated her for a while. She would have hated her family too.

She understood the type of life Itachi led; all the social events and appearances for things. In high school she had been forced to her share of them, hating every minute on the clock that held her there in the usual overpriced dress and jewelry with men that were twice her age and full of sex drive.

She often spent most of her time hiding in the bathroom; just avoid them, her father, and her sister. It used to cut into her valuable paint time. Would she be able to do a good job for Itachi? More importantly, would anyone recognize her? No, that had been forever ago, she didn't even look like the same Hinata.

"Here," a soft voice sliced through her thoughts. A plate of steaming food appeared under her nose with chopsticks on the side. All thoughts of her past were banished in an instant as she looked up at Itachi. He was holding a plate of food for himself, looking equally as delicious.

"Thank you very much," she nodded.

"Hn. No problem_." _ He waved his free hand as he took the seat across from her. She waited for him to begin eating before she touched any of the food herself. They ate quietly, awkwardly on Hinata's part. She wasn't used to her boss being in the same room for meal times and half dressed added to that.

"This is good Hinata-san," he commented, watching her face. She looked like a deer caught in the blinding light of a highway car again. She squeaked out something and looked at her plate, blush crawling over her pale cheeks. Itachi rarely commented her too. She was afraid that she was going to wake the next day and find it all had been a cruel dream.

"Are you okay?" he asked later, when they were nearly finished.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered.

"Hn." He finished off his plate and put it in the sink. "I'm off to bed. Good night_." _

"Good night_," _she responded, feeling slightly sick. They were informal with their goodnights now. She waited until he was gone before she finished her food and began to clean the kitchen. She ignored the floors, thinking that she would just clean them the next day. She still had homework to do, even on the weekend.

She showered and changed before heading to her room and trying to work. She remembered that she had wanted to call Neji. She grabbed the cell phone that she rarely used except for emergencies and personal phone calls.

"Hello?" Neji's smooth and soothing voice came over the line.

"Neji-kun?" she asked, just to make sure. He smiled as he recognized his cousin's timid voice.

"Hello Hinata-chan," he said. "It has been a while since I heard from you."

"I know, sorry_,_" she said, then remembered it was her cousin and not her boss.

"How is the cold Uchiha?" he asked.

"Hn," she pursed her lips, lying down across her bed. "That's who I'm calling about."

"What happened?" he sighed, preparing for terrible news.

"Well it's not quite what you think," she said softly. "You see, I'm going to pretend to be Itachi-sama's fiancée." She wondered why she was even calling to tell him now.

"What_?" _he asked, not believing he was hearing his cousin. "Hinata-chan."

"I know," she whispered. "I shouldn't be doing it, but he's been so kind to m-"

"Making you work like a dog?"

"It's not like that, it's a good job. He has no other choice I believe."

"Hinata-chan, he can't ask that of you." She should have known that Neji was going to make a big deal out of it. Why shouldn't he though? It was wrong of Itachi to ask that from her. But she couldn't stop herself.

"I know," she told him softly. Even over the phone, Neji could tell that he was hurting his cousin. He sighed, rubbing his temples and sprawling out across his bed as well. She wasn't sure now which hurt more: her cousin or Itachi.

"Look, I can't stop you from doing whatever you want. You have your own judgment I am sure if you feel it is okay, then it must be. Just…" He paused. "Be careful alright? And I will always have a place for you."

"I will Neji-kun. I just wanted to let you know."

"Thanks_." _

"Could you tell me what you have been up to since I don't get to see you as much?"

"Of course."

They stayed up speaking well into the evening. Hinata realized how much she missed her cousin. It had been nice staying with him. He was only a year older than her, but he was so much better at living on his own.

He worked at a hobby shop and went to school, but he was very good with money and investing or at least saving, even if he wasn't very good at cooking. Even his girlfriend, Ten Ten, admitted to that when Hinata was there. Hinata had only lived with Neji a few months before she got her job.

Around one a.m. they shared their "goodnights" before Hinata hung up. Her homework was still mostly undone, but there wasn't much of it and she had the weekend. She moved all of the books and climbed under the covers.

Her room was rather plain; she hadn't decorated much the whole time she had lived there. The walls were a clean beige color, her bed and bed spreads in complimenting browns, hardwood flooring. She had one dresser and one night stand with a lamp that had a vase shape on the bottom filled with sea shells no lampshade.

It was right down the hall from Itachi's room and he had told her she could add more things in it if she wanted to, but she liked it simple so that she didn't have to keep up with it much. The only thing that broke up the monotone and showed it was hers was the amount of her personal paintings on the wall and her art supplies in a corner.

The covers warmed her, but she was sure that Itachi's body pressed close would do the same. It took her reeling mind a while to calm down, the thoughts bouncing like tennis balls around inside. There was so much to consider.

Finally, she concentrated on just him and soon she was floating in dreamland, safe in his arms.

X

**Author's End Note: **Like it? Love it? Mistakes? Review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Here is chapter three. Finals are over for me at school and I'll have a nice and totally well deserved two week break in which I can work on fiction everyday if I choose. Thank for all the lovely reviews and alerts and favs on this. I am quite excited, totally blushing, right now that this seems to have really taken off and I hope it just gets better for you as I simply love working on it. I really do enjoy hearing your thoughts and questions and concerns in regards to the state of the chapters.

About this chapter: No Japanese other than honorifics this time around, tried to tone it down after last chapter. Plus, it really wasn't needed for this one anyway. This is the chapter you guys have been waiting on, the makeover. Hope I did an alright job. I had this mental image I wanted to convey and I hope I got it across as I could see her looking like this. Ino, Sakura, Temari, and Kankurou appear for just a little bit, and you'll see why. I think that's about it until next chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters; I do not own the title of the fic, it belongs to the Beatles of course, and I do own Akira as I made him up.

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 3

Hinata awoke about the time that Itachi left in the morning. She could hear the resounding slam of the heavy front door, even from her room. It wasn't unusual for her to still be in bed when he would leave. He never troubled himself with breakfast of any kind, preferring to grab something on the road.

She yawned as rolled on her side, her limbs dragging since she had engaged in all that scrubbing yesterday. She hadn't even finished, thanks to her boss' news. She would have to try and get around to it later. Her delicate legs slid from beneath the covers as her feet touched the chilly floor. She squeaked and reminded herself that she should get a rug.

It was just like any other morning; the sun just starting to slice through the half covered window to illuminate the dull walls, the city was already alive with business and automobiles, the house empty. She could have used the stereo system or television to fill the apartment with sound, but it still felt empty.

She made her way around the bed, trying to allow her feet time to get used to the floor, as she opened the curtains and try to make the room somewhat cheerful. Hinata gazed down at the world below her, smiling and watching it interact without her as a functioning part of it.

Sighing wistfully, she left the window to grab some clothing and prepare herself for the day. She just hoped that Itachi had left some message about the time of the appointment. Now that she was wide awake, she could feel a possible relapse coming on. No, she would be okay.

All she had to do was get herself dressed before she ventured out into the rest of the home. It was habit now, as she had made the mistake of walking out to prepare breakfast one morning in her pajamas. Not that the sleepwear was offensive or revealing, just that Itachi had mentioned something about professionalism and that this was like any other job.

"I will expect that you be dressed tomorrow morning," he told her, without bothering to give her a second look as he folded his paper, took his toast, and left for work. It was the one morning he had decided that breakfast would be nice. Even when he was gone on business trips, she could have walked around as she pleased, but one deviation from her usual pattern and she was sure another awkward moment would occur.

It was as if she were trained. Before her life with him, she did play music when things were quiet and she did walk around in her sleepwear. There was the cooking and cleaning of course, she pondered as she pulled up her best pair of the jeans; meaning the ones with the fewest holes. She also pulled a lavender t-shirt over her head before tying her hair up out of the way.

She padded down the hall, her feet never any louder than a whisper across the hardwood. Unaware of it, she touched her index fingers together as she entered the kitchen. There on the counter was a note. Her trembling fingers plucked it from the slick surface, her heart pounding a rhythm against her breastplate.

_Hinata-san,_

_Your appointment time is 9:30 sharp and the car will be picking you up thirty minutes before hand. Just listen to everything they say or do to you and don't worry about the expenses, I have them covered. I will be waiting. _

_Itachi-sama_

There was everything she needed in his pristine handwriting. She gulped, her lilac eyes glancing toward the clock over the sink. It was already after eight-thirty, which didn't leave her a lot of time to get anything done before she left. She looked around. The house was always obsessively clean, who was she kidding.

She folded the note and tucked it in her pocket, her hand rubbing over her hip with the motion. It was rare for him to leave them and she wanted to cherish it, also not to forget anything. Unsure of what else she could really do with her time, Hinata made her way to the door for her keys and shoes.

They were beat-up and worn out converse-style sneakers. They were her favorite and oldest pair probably, but unfit for social gatherings of which the like Itachi was used to. He often looked upon them with distain when he would leave his shoes after work, keeping them far from the offending footwear.

"What color are they even?" he asked her one night as she was waiting for his command.

"P-purple," she stuttered, upset by his reaction to her most comfortable pair of errand-running shoes. The Uchiha said no more as he brushed past her on his way to the office. But he never made another comment about them to her.

She slid them on over her bleached socks as she stood outside, keys in hand and waiting for the car. The apartment complex that they lived in was in a more sparse part of the city, suburbia. They lived on the bottom floor and rarely had any trouble with neighbors as everyone was in the same financial standing as Itachi.

This morning was rather warm for the shift into fall, early enough that the sun hadn't quite risen to the middle of the sky, but late that the fog dissipated. The sky was painted in shades of orange, red, and yellow, faintly broken up with a cloud every now and again. Hinata hoped that she would remember the colors for when she would probably be able to paint.

She was so distracted that she was shocked from her painted daydreams when the blaring of the horn called her back to reality. Hinata shook her head as she stood up, brushing herself off, and headed for the waiting car. A nameless driver was holding the door open for her. She recognized him from many times of watching Itachi leave, but had never learned his name.

She sat herself in the backseat, unable to keep from examining the plush beige leather seats with double stitching, the outside a lacquered black that put pure onyx to shame. Her eyes grew wide as she realized this was really happening, and that she wasn't just dreaming once again. She bit her lip and sat on her hands to keep from touching her fingers together.

The driver didn't speak but rather concentrated on the road. That was fine with Hinata; she didn't feel like she would be able to speak as they traveled. She wasn't even sure she would be able to speak once they got to their destination. She hoped it wasn't completely necessary.

Every minute seemed like hours to poor nervous Hinata. She hadn't felt this nervous since she probably entered college or maybe started her job. Either way, it had been a long time since she had felt exactly like this. When they pulled up outside of a salon, she wasn't sure if she was more worried or relieved. The man opened the door for her and she slowly made her way into the shop.

Before she had a good chance to look around, a cheerful voice greeted her with a "Good morning!" She looked up from the floor to find a cherry-blossom haired girl standing directly in her path. Her hair was cut so that it fell around her bare shoulders with the bangs framing her big sage colored eyes. She had her arms behind her back as she stood with her hip slightly out to the left.

"G-good m-morning," Hinata stumbled, blushing furiously at her own lack of class. She hadn't stuttered in two years and wasn't about to start now if she could help it.

"You must be Uzumaki Hinata," the girl smiled, overly friendly. The smell of dye and shampoo hit Hinata's nose as she glanced around. "I'm Haruno Sakura. You're here for your appointment right?"

"Yes," she nodded. There were different people, men and women, getting their hair attended to around her; cut, dried, dyed, washed. Since she hadn't had a good haircut in around two years, then she wasn't sure if this was for her or not.

"Great, you're going to be in good hands. Uchiha-san comes in here to get his hair taken care of sometimes," the girl smiled as she took Hinata's hand, leading her over to a chair. "I promise you will be just fine." She gently pushed Hinata back in the chair, before the girl could run out of the shop, tying a purple smock around her.

"What do we have here?" a blond girl asked as she made her way over to them. She had long golden hair pulled up in a simple ponytail with a long section pulled over an eye.

"Oh Ino-chan, I didn't even have to call you. Since you're better with long hair than I am, I'll let you take care of her for the style. I'll do anything else." The blond girl ran her fingers through Hinata's untied hair. It actually felt rather good to have someone touch it again.

"You have some beautiful hair," Ino told her. "I don't think I'll be cutting off a lot." Hinata gave a small sigh of relief. She had been worrying about that.

"She really does. It just needs a little care," Sakura told her, a thin hand resting on the top. Both of these girls were so pretty and Hinata wondered how they managed it every day. "That's all."

"Alright, you wash and dry it, then call me back over. I know just what to do." They nodded as Sakura helped Hinata out of the chair once again and over to a washing station. She chatted on happily about Itachi and any other celebrity she could think of as her experienced hands ran themselves through Hinata's thick hair.

Hinata could only see the ceiling tiles with her head leaned back over the basin. She was tempted to fall asleep with all the attention. The shampoo smelled like jasmine and calmed her senses even further, making things almost hazy. Why hadn't she done this before? It wasn't like she couldn't have treated herself every now and again. Was it that she forgot and for a long time didn't have enough hair to have anything done with?

Sakura wrapped a thick white towel around her head as she led the girl back over to the chair from before. She pulled out a large blow dryer and a comb, leaving the towel around the girl's shoulders as she began to dry the thick cascade of hair. She was still speaking of idle things with Hinata only half listening once more.

At least she was gentle enough. "You really do have beautiful hair," she commented. "Just like Itachi-san. I think it might even be the same length." Hinata just nodded. She couldn't help but be faced with herself in the mirror. Her black, almost purple hair, shone with new life as the drying and straight locks fell around her shoulders and down her back. It came to her waist.

She touched it, just for a second to make sure that it was her while Sakura had gone off to find Ino. It was soft, like silk between her dried fingers. A small smile graced her lips pale pink lips.

"My, almost didn't recognize you," Ino said as she appeared. She took the locks in her fingers, musing as she decided what to do. "I've got it." Hinata shut her eyes, as she didn't want to see what the woman was going to do.

Deadly sharpened scissors took small pieces of years from her head, the locks falling with whispers to the floor and her lap as Ino cut near her face. It didn't feel like she was losing a lot, so maybe it would be okay to open her eyes. Ino adjusted her head as needed, without a word from Hinata.

"There, I think I have it." A few soft brushes of hands and hair before Hinata opened her eyes. She didn't do it slowly on purpose, she was just nervous that maybe she had misjudged how much work Ino had done to her.

But what she saw still shocked her. Her bangs were cut evenly across her forehead, the silky black locks contrasting well with her pale skin; around her cheeks and neck were slightly layered, rather soft and wispy, Ino having slightly styled them; but the ends of her hair were still around her waist, only neat and even like her bangs.

"Oh my," she said, free of the stutter. She leaned forward in the chair to steal a better look at herself. It just didn't seem like the same girl staring back at her. She touched her face.

"You like it?" Ino asked.

"Yes," she breathed. She didn't look like Itachi's housekeeper any longer.

"Excellent. I have worked my magic again." She pulled the smock off of Hinata, shaking the cut hair to the floor. "Come on, I have to get you to Temari-san for everything else." Everything else? Hinata wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that but then she remembered Itachi's words of the clothing. She still touched her hair as she followed Ino to another place right next door.

It was an exclusive women's clothing store filled with beautiful but expensive items. She passed elegant evening gowns in brilliant shades of sanguine and electric blue made of fabrics like chiffon and silk before they even entered. There were designer pants and shirts, all in coordinating shades, perfectly sewn for only limited and in-style sizes, lingerie and hosiery, casual-but not common casual-wear, and other things. It all stunned her just a little.

"Temari-san!" Ino shouted as they stood by the door. It was early enough that they were the only ones in the store. They could hear muttering as a woman with spunky blond hair came to the front to greet them. She a permanent smirk on her lightly tanned face as her dark eyes took Hinata in.

"You don't have to yell," she soothed, looking like she was pleasantly amused about something. "I'm right here. Is this the girl you're sending over to me?" She crossed her arms as she smiled directly at Hinata. She had teamed a pair of black slacks comfortably with a light top that had small, pink vertical stripes.

"Yes, this is Hinata-san. I'll leave her with you for makeup and clothing as we have already taken care of the hair." She gestured once again to the locks she was so proud of.

"That's fine." She uncrossed her slender covered arms as she put an arm around Hinata's shoulders. "Come with me and we will really turn you into a knock-out." Hinata gave one last desperate look to the hairdresser before she was whisked to the back.

There was a tall auburn-brunette haired boy standing behind the counter looking extremely bored while he was flipping through a magazine. He looked up when he saw them, his dark eyes lighting up. He let out a low whistle.

"Do you have your work cut out for you," he told the blond woman.

"Hush Kankurou-kun, you know I hate bringing you to work with me," she sighed as she let go of Hinata to rub her temples. "Now, what size do you wear?" she asked Hinata.

"I-I'm not sure," she said. She actually wasn't. Everything she owned never fit exactly right, both on purpose or just stretched and worn after years of abuse.

"That's fine; I'll measure you and find out. Kankurou-kun, turn around or something for a moment." She pulled a pink tape from around her neck as she began to tie it around several places on Hinata's body. The girl felt uncomfortable since she didn't know Temari at all, but it was necessary since she couldn't give her a size. She yelled numbers to Kankurou and then colors as well, like black and lavender or lilac.

"What about the clothing?" he asked.

"All styles," she waved her hand to send him off. "Except the underwear. I'll handle that."

"U-underwear?" Hinata asked. She didn't realize that was part of the deal. Since when would Itachi see her in that that? She blushed at the thought.

"Yes, trust me; if you're going to be Itachi's fiancée, you're going to need it dear." She practically dragged the other woman across the store to where some of the most provocative underwear Hinata had ever seen was in plain view.

She could tell this wasn't going to be an easy day at all. She would have preferred to stay home and clean Itachi's apartment, ceiling to floor a few more times than this.

X

"You have fantastic eyes," Temari said as she applied a little more of the lilac eye shadow. The black eyeliner had been the hardest thing to get Hinata to put on. Temari had recommended the liquid waterproof as it applied much darker and could be controlled better than any of the pencils she had on her at the time.

"Thank you," Hinata felt the hot blush creeping up her neck and face, although under the makeup it was harder to see.

"I'm sure Itachi-san finds them attractive as well." Hinata felt a little stab. Itachi-san never even noticed them she was sure, just like he never seemed to notice her unless he needed her for some menial task. She merely nodded, hoping that she wasn't giving anything away or that tears weren't threatening to spill and ruin the good job.

A few more soft brush strokes and Hinata found that she was finished, Temari turning her toward the well-lit vanity mirror. The woman that she now beheld was glamorous and rather unfamiliar. Hinata would have fainted dead away if she wasn't gripping the chair so well.

Temari had dressed her in a clingy black skirt that came to just above her knees, flaring out so that if she spun around it would lift slightly with the movement. Her top was a bleached white, starched and free of wrinkles with lilac blooms covering the top left shoulder to the bottom right near her hip, button up. Her legs were a nude color of hose and her feet covered by these awesome classic black pumps. Temari had even dug up a deep purple beaded necklace to hang around her neck.

"I'm a magician I swear," she prided herself. "Honey, say something."

"Wow," was all Hinata could chant. A very small smile graced her glossy lips as she stood and smoothed out the clothing. She wasn't the same woman at all. She didn't hate the change as much as she thought she would. Itachi would be sure to notice her now.

"Too bad she is already someone's fiancée," Kankuruou said as he stood beside his sister.

"Hush," the other woman commanded. "Go help load things."

"Thank you," Hinata told her, "Everything looks wonderful."

"And you should be able to do it every day," she smiled. "It's simple enough." Hinata nodded, even though it wasn't a question. She felt a little like Cinderella. Even if the engagement was a complete sham, the major self-confidence boost she had just taken was perfectly real.

The older woman walked her out to the waiting car. It was probably sometime after twelve. Hinata knew that the whole makeover had taken most of the morning. The note in her old pair of pants had stated very clearly that he would be waiting. She gulped as the drive seemed to take forever again. She hoped this had been what he had in mind.

X

Itachi had tried to sit in his office after his meeting that morning to wait on Hinata. He wasn't sure why he was so anxious. All of this was for a fake purpose of course. So why was he pacing in front of his apartment door, waiting on the housekeeper to get back?

The meeting had gone well between him and Kisame. The lawyer mentioned the word was already out that Itachi was going to marry his housekeeper. All of the other girls he had ever dated had been swept under the rug. He had been out of the public eye for a little while since he hadn't bedded another one of the annoying clones in months. Paparazzi would be lurking soon enough, if they weren't already.

It was simple, he tried to convince himself; he just wanted to see how the investment had gone. His sharp hearing picked up the wheels of the car. He opened the door slowly to avoid looking like he was in a hurry. Itachi Uchiha was never in a hurry for anyone.

He watched Akira, his driver, pull passenger back door open. A glossy black pump could be seen under the door attached to a rather well-developed calf as the owner of both began to emerge. Nothing could have prepared Itachi for the shock he was about to experience.

Instead of the unkempt housekeeper he had sent off that morning, there stood a goddess in her place. Hinata's wide eyes met his as she just stood on the sidewalk, watching for his approval or some type of emotion. Her heart was beating wild enough that she was sure it would kill her.

Itachi's dark and calculating eyes took in the new hairstyle, the new clothing, and the makeup but his brain had trouble for once, processing all of the information before him.

Where had she come from? The clothing hugged all the right curves of her body, her shirt just open enough to provide a glimpse of the flawless skin he was sure covered her petite frame. The skirt hugged her hips and flared, giving her a whole new shape and accentuating her perfect legs. They had left her hair down so that it fell around her hips in a shiny curtain that he had the urge to run his fingers through.

She nervously, but rather adorably bit her glossy lip as she waited for him to say or do something. He walked down the steps slowly, taking his time to make sure that he wasn't having some type of jet-lag hallucination.

"Hinata-chan," he said as he let a small smile cross his face. The girl didn't say anything, although her mouth opened slightly as if she were doing to. Itachi had stopped with the –san and addressed her in the familiar. Without the new look, she probably would have fainted.

But she held her head up as he got closer. His dark eyes were shining in a way that she had never seen him do before and she was suddenly aware of how close he was. His slender hands moved to cup her face, his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks. The driver was paying no attention as he began to move the bags into the apartment.

His heart was beginning to pound the blood rush around his body. Since when did Hinata look so much like a seductress? He could smell the slightest hint of Jasmine, one of his favorites, on her. It wasn't strong enough to be perfume, so it was probably a body spray or soap or something. He took a sample of the silky locks in his fingers; it was her hair.

"Itachi-kun," she whispered as his face pressed even closer. She couldn't believe this was really happening and she felt light-headed. She needed to sit down and drink some tea or something. Itachi was touching her to be sure he wasn't dreaming himself.

"Beautiful," he whispered. He lowered his eyelids some as his face pressed even closer to hers. She could feel his body heat invading hers as she waited with bated breath for his next move. His soft lips ghosted over hers before he pulled his head away, muttering "beautiful" again.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing her close to his body as he took her inside. She was thankful for it as her legs had turned to jelly. Itachi had nearly kissed her. Her mind swam and the world was suddenly a dizzy place. Just him being in that close proximity was nerve wracking enough.

Itachi wasn't sure why he had nearly done that. It was still a little early for the photographers and gossipers to be out yet, so it wasn't for press appearance. No, she had seduced him and all she had done was stand there. They had done a good job on her to make her have that effect on him. She wasn't even dressed in a seductive manner.

Her body was warm and fit perfectly beside his as he escorted her in; unsure of exactly what had come over him. He began to wonder what was lurking under that white top of hers, if the makeover had included her undergarments, which were really none of his business.

One thing was for sure though; she looked exactly the part she should. In fact, she was beautiful and it was the honest truth. Hinata no longer looked like the same raggedy thing he had taken in. She was a temptress in waiting.

X

**Author's End Note:** So, did I tease you enough yet? Thoughts? Review, I would love to hear from you, even if its one word.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**Welcome to chapter four. I spent all weekend working on this and would have really had it up sooner probably, but I've been rather sick and then all the heat and stuff lately has made me slightly unwell. Besides that, thank you so much for all the lovely reviews and alerts and favorites you guys have given this story! I really appreciate them and that's what helps me to write faster is knowing that all of you are looking forward to another chapter of this. So, thank you so much and keep them coming!

About this chapter: Only honorifics this time. I hope no one is too out of character or something. More angst, reveals, and such on the way.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters; I do not own the title of the story, it belongs to the Beatles.

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 4

"How did your meeting go?" she asked, not stuttering as they made their way into his apartment. The moment was so awkward and she felt that she had to speak or avoid being crushed by the weight of it all. Her heels made a 'click, clack' sound against the harsh surface of the unforgiving pavement.

"Well," he nodded, not looking at her. Was he upset with the change in her? Was he upset that she had caused him to react in such a strange manner? Instead of just imaging how he felt, she took in every aspect of his lithe body that was pressed against her tiny frame.

"Oh, good," she nodded herself. It was like him to be short with her. He rarely spoke full sentences after all and especially to her. Had he been putting on because there was a photographer nearby? That would have made more sense to explain what he had done.

She tried to convince herself that was why. But then again, it had been like she had exerted some sort of power over him, so was it really the press? Had she shocked Itachi that much?

Once inside the apartment, Itachi didn't let her go surprisingly. She could feel her heart racing again, even after she had just calmed it down. Itachi still didn't look at her though; he couldn't, not without doing something that might be unnecessary, at least until he got himself under control again. She was just his frumpy housekeeper, wasn't she?

"Itachi-sama," she found herself addressing him once again.

"Hn?"

"What do you really think of my makeover?" she asked, craving to know if everything had been as put on as the situation this was all going to be for. They were heading to his office. She tried not to run to keep up with his longer legs and brisk pace.

He didn't answer her until he had pulled open the heavy door of the study and sat her down on the couch. There were already two steaming cups of green tea waiting. "It is very nice," he nodded swiftly, turning his head away from her once more to dial his cell phone. "You look very convincing," he added as he waited for the lawyer to pick up.

Kisame had been dying to know how it went during the meeting, even though he thought she was pretty before. Well, now he would find out at the next social event as soon as Itachi got a hold of him. The lawyer never seemed to pick up his phone as Itachi got the answering machine again. _He's probably off having some sort of affair with that secretary of his. _

"Help yourself to the tea," he commanded as he began to search through his planner. He figured that she was probably quite thirsty as she had been gone for the better part of the day. Hinata picked up the closest cup, her hand trembling slightly.

She wondered how Neji would react when he saw her in class on Monday. She didn't want to call and risk hearing one of his rants about schoolwork, Ten Ten, or her-three of his favorite things. It would take her all weekend to get used to walking by mirrors and not freaking out just a little.

She couldn't help but notice how enticing her employer looked this afternoon though. His hair was dangerously loose in the elastic he had half-heartedly twisted it in, his vermillion colored shirt was unbuttoned near the top by three with the black tie loosened, giving him that sexy hassled look.

She thought, out of his entire wardrobe, his red outfits suited him the best. She tried to keep her lavender eyes on her lap or her cup of tea. It had been years probably since she had worn a skirt and she had to remember the proper etiquette for sitting in one.

She pressed her hosiery-covered knees together as she crossed her legs at the ankles, keeping one foot on the floor and the other tucked behind it, slightly up. Her legs still gaped open some and Itachi was in danger of getting a view of her new black lace boy-shorts. It would require some practice before she was to go to any public places with him.

Itachi sifted through the lined pages of the planner, looking for the coming week as he tried the lawyer again. He knew he had a few social events that they would be expected to make appearances at. He turned his head slightly to glance over his shoulder at the girl. He caught a glimpse of her struggling to sit herself correctly in the attire; that didn't stop his eyes from wandering to the dark space between her thighs for a second.

She was already tempting him and all she had done was sit down in his study. He turned his head away once again, keeping the phone propped between his ear and his shoulder as he listened to it ring and ring.

"Kisame-san," he started very quietly, "When you get back to the office, I need you to call me promptly as we have social events for the week to discuss." Kisame would know from the tone that Itachi wasn't happy with him. He just couldn't get in touch with him when he really needed him. He shut the black cell phone with a 'snap' and set it on the desk.

He scanned the pages with a thin index finger, trying to resist turning around again to see what Hinata was doing. He knew he didn't have anything tonight, or the next night as it was Sunday night. But he wanted to know about the rest of the week after that.

Monday night, benefit for some type of endangered plant hosted by Zetsu. Tuesday and Wednesday he would be tied up in meetings and work, but Thursday was Pein's social event of the year, and Friday was something rather similar. Would she be able to handle it, plus cleaning, and her schoolwork?

"Hinata-san," he started as he turned around. She nearly dropped her cup she had been so focused on trying to sit correctly that she had forgot he was in the room. Her wide lilac colored eyes looked to his face as she waited patiently for his every word, as usual.

"Yes Itachi-sama?" She figured the changing in address had merely been for the large possibility of press and that they were back to the same as always. She politely smiled at him. She was just his employee of two years after all. This was just payback for being so kind to her.

"This is the plan for the week," he said as he sat down in the chair opposite her. Without meaning to, he took the tone that he used with the rest of his employees as they developed a plan of action to keep the company. He glanced at her face and for a second the thought that maybe the tone was too harsh flickered across his mind.

"Monday, Thursday, and Friday will be social event nights. I will fill you in before hand when I know more. Plan to be dressed in formal wear those nights, if you don't mind," he added, trying to soften the business-like tone. He needed her to be docile instead of upset with him if this was going to work.

He only had so long to get the word out before meeting his family again. Well, really two weeks. His father rarely kept up with his social life, but since he had set the date two weeks from now, they would be keeping tabs on him. Perfect. He almost felt like smiling.

"Yes Itachi-sama," she nodded. Social events? Her heart felt weak. It had been over two years since she had attended one. They were stifling and uncomfortable with the flesh on display for the millionaires and the like. Everyone there was fake and plastic.

"Great. I want you to keep up your current appearance around the home as well, should anyone drop by or when you go to school." The house was always clean without her having to do very much to it anyway.

"Yes Itachi-sama, I will do that." She felt faint though; she was going to get bombarded at school by people she didn't even know and who had ignored her the last two years. What about the press? Would they begin to hang around? It took her a few minutes to realize that Itachi had still been addressing her. "Hm?" she asked lamely.

"I asked were you alright?" Her brain took a few seconds more to process that Itachi had leaned forward considerably in his chair and had now placed a steadying hand over hers. Itachi had grown concerned that maybe she was sick or something. Even though the makeup, she had paled all over again.

"Yes, just fine Itachi-sama," she told him. It was hard not to stutter. She stood up, setting the cup down. The liquid was cold now anyway, even if that was the way to drink it, she was so used to Itachi's unusual way that it wouldn't have tasted the same. She bit her lip hard enough that she was in danger of breaking the skin and causing further trauma.

"Good. One more thing for now, don't speak to the press alright?" She nodded her understanding to him as she backed against the door. Itachi couldn't stop himself this time from thinking how adorable she looked with her wide eyes and chewing on her lip.

"I'm going to go and make lunch," she told him quickly as her hand fumbled for the door knob as she pulled it open, nearly falling through the opening, and disappeared.

Itachi sat back into the plush chair, touching his hand to his lips. He was tempted to bite his fingernails. His employee was acting stranger than usual, but he was sure that it had everything to do with the current circumstances. But he couldn't get the image of being so close to her face just moments before, feeling tempted by her, which was something he never imagined, would happen.

He shook his head; Hinata, tempting? But somehow, the thought was stronger than ever, no matter how many times he tried to shake it off.

Hinata hurried to the kitchen, having trouble with the floors in her heels, feeling like a newborn calf struggling for its legs after birth. She was glad that Temari had talked her into some of the slacks and flats if she was going to have to keep up appearances.

But what surprised her most was how good she felt again. She hadn't felt this way in years probably; of course the underwear was helping. She twirled a few strands of the black silk hair in her thin fingers, brushing it against her face. She felt vaguely like she had missed her own blossoming into womanhood or something.

As she made a fresh pot of tea and began to prepare lunch, she thought about what had occurred at the last social event she had attended.

Her father had dragged her along with her sister Hanabi. She had worn a deep purple dress, made of fine satin that had tied behind her neck, meeting in a V over her chest so that just a slight hint of cleavage as the rest of it hugged her still developing figure, ending around her feet. She had been sure to wear a comfortable pair of flats as well, as these things lasted well into the night.

She couldn't recall what the event had been for, and it usually wasn't important as it was just a way for the rich men to show off their trophy wives or mistresses, or in her father's case his two young daughters that were up for marriage to the highest bidder. Age had no boundary here where money talked and morals walked.

She had felt one of her panic attacks coming on, so she had taken her medication to help. Back then, they had been frequent and serious should she ever have one. Her sister was off flirting with men three times their combined age and she was hidden in the corner sipping on one of the few glasses of just plain water.

She watched women around her age, maybe older, allow themselves to be plastic and hang on the arms of men who wanted nothing to do with them. She was a sharp observer but even her senses felt a little dulled by the medication.

Hinata knew that her father would be upset that she wasn't out trying to land herself a husband with plenty of money, but she didn't care. It wasn't worth sacrificing herself over. She would rather be poor than fake.

"Hello there," someone smiled as they put a hand on her shoulder. She spun around, nearly dropping her glass. There was a man with longer grey hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing glasses and a matching suit with a purple pressed shirt. It was cut close enough to his body type, lean and tall.

"H-hi," she returned, wishing that he would just go away. It wasn't that he was really ugly or creepy or disgusting, it was just that he had picked her out of the whole room when her whole demeanor clearly told everyone to stay away.

"You're the Hyuuga heiress, Hinata right?" he asked. His voice had been smooth, like her dress, his hand remaining on her shoulder. She nodded, taking a sip of the water. The glass had been fluted, like the champagne ones floating around the room on trays. "I'm Kabuto," he smiled providing her with no last name.

"Oh." She had never heard of him; he let go for only a moment. Most of the men there were nobodies in her large eyes, especially when she wished she were millions of miles away. If the glass had not been in her hand, then she would have touched her index fingers together. Men usually left her alone, preferring her sister's flirty and flawless mouth to her own tight-lipped and worried.

"You know, when not compared with your sister, you are rather beautiful yourself." His hand stretched out for her shoulder again, his eyes darkening as he glossed her over, seeming to undress her. Out of sheer nervousness, she backed up, right into an oncoming waiter and his tray. Golden, not to mention, expensive champagne splashed all down her short hair and satin dress.

She blushed to the roots of the new haircut as she vanished from the room, leaving only the stunned patrons. It had been humiliating and she was tired of always being in her sister's shadow, even if the girl was younger than her. She was tired of the drugs and the attacks, just being a pawn to her father.

Hinata realized that she was close to burning the vegetables if she didn't wrench herself from her memories. They were already sizzling in the pan as it was. Was this going to turn out like the last one she went to? No, she would be with Itachi, pretending. She would be like those girls that she had long protested. Was this how they got sucked into this world?

X

Sunday had passed with Hinata performing her usual duties and trying to finish her homework for her other life on Monday. Only brief words were exchanged between her and Itachi, merely for meals or tasks.

Normal activities seemed to take twice as long since she was trying to also keep the wardrobe from getting ruined. Hinata was absolutely dying to put on her comfortable clothing and get them filthy just to finish and have enough time to finish her school work.

She should have been out of school by then, but not all of her credits had transferred and she had to start all over again when she moved in with Neji. Neji, on the other hand, had finished one degree and was going for a second. It was taking her longer since she could only take so many classes with a job as well.

When she had woken up, she had taken care to tie her hair up, hoping it would remain that way. But now she was cooking dinner and trying to finish a paper, fighting the black strands as they fell around her face.

Itachi had spent the better parts of the day in his office, trying to finish the stacks of menial paperwork that always seemed to litter the rich hardwood desk. He was sure that probably half a forest had taken residence on his desk as he reviewed and signed various documents.

He had no trouble with paperwork, knowing that if everything was to be legal and right to avoid possible court cases and jail, then it had to be completed right. It was easy, since he was a genius, but his changing thinking of Hinata wasn't. In just one weekend, she had gone from frumpy, plain, meek little Hinata to polished, refined, and almost self confident.

She had slid into the role so easily that he had to wonder a little, between approvals and denies and signatures, just what sort of past life she had led. Maybe she was just skilled at these sorts of things, her docile behavior making that transition essentially flawless. She was an art student after all, maybe that had something to do with it.

He couldn't ignore the small things she always seemed to do around him though. The way she chewed on her bottom lip, allowing the blood to pool around the teeth just under the skin, bathing it in a rich crimson color far more beautiful than the lipstick that covered it; the way she seemed to look to him with something similar to adoration; her polite behavior and her womanly presence. His home never felt empty with her there.

Itachi stood in the entrance way to the kitchen, just observing her for a moment. She was stirring something in a pot as she tried to add more to a paper, also glancing back at recipe book. She brushed a few of the silky bangs out of her face as she chewed her lip.

Kisame's words rang through his mind about how Hinata was already practically married to him and the longer he stood and watched, the more he could see it. Today she had chosen black slacks, not too loose or tight, with a black button-down that accentuated her features. His eyes glanced at her feet, and he nearly chuckled. She wasn't wearing any shoes.

"Hm," she mumbled as she added another type of spice and wrote something else down. The pale skin of her neck was illuminated by the light above the stove, also catching her hair and causing it to shine with health and life.

"Oh no," she worried as the cap to the spice fell in the pot. She battled with the spoon to retrieve it, burning her sensitive fingers. She touched them to her lips to cool them, sucking on the heated skin. Itachi found the move to be extremely sexy, but he tried to brush it aside. Before he was able to do so, he had to wonder what else her mouth would fit around.

"Need any help?" Itachi asked. He needed a break from paperwork. He remembered cooking with his brother when they were younger. Sasuke loved to help him and his mother. Back then he had just been a wide-eyed kid, standing probably about half Itachi's height. What fond memories.

"Hm? Oh Itachi-sama, um, sure," she nodded. She was so close to stuttering, she knew, but she hadn't realized he had been standing there. How long had he been watching her botch dinner? She blushed as she looked down.

He strode across the kitchen toward her, his feet barely producing sound as he gently prodded her aside from the pot. He gave her the lid and she ran it with her fingers under the tap water, gently cleansing both with soap before drying them off.

"You finish your homework and I'll worry about finishing dinner." He knew the value of schoolwork, it being part of the reason he was where he was today. He couldn't have her slacking off or getting behind. This was the second time lately that he had worried about dinner. It was healthy.

"Are you sure Itachi-sama?" she asked, her eyes fearful, almost begging to know if she was going to be fired for this or not. It was part of the reason she had been hired.

"Hn, its fine. I needed a break." She nodded, collecting her paper as she sat at the kitchen table. It was some type of vegetable soup. It smelled absolutely delicious as he turned around to glance at her. She was practically laying on the paper as she scribbled things down, her eyes searching. Just this once, he told himself although he could tell it would probably happen again.

She took her hair out of the elastic, shaking the strands loose as she tangled one hand in them, allowing the rest to act as a curtain, crashing around her shoulders like a waterfall. Itachi found himself distracted watching her comb it back every now and again as she tried to think and complete the assignment. What was this woman doing to him?

X

Hinata found that Monday mornings always arrived too soon for her liking. Not that she didn't love school, just that it always came too early especially for a nine thirty class with Neji. She rolled out of bed, realizing that her alarm had already been sounding for twenty minutes with no movement from her.

She slammed the button down, ignoring the coldness of the floor. It was only seven ten, but she knew that her morning routine would take even longer since she had to look a certain way. She had timed it Sunday as taking around thirty minutes to an hour.

Hinata grabbed the outfit that she had already picked out, feeling her stomach twist itself into several large knots at the thought of going to school today. Crowds made her nervous anyway. It was hard for her not to clutch or wrinkle the white shirt she was planning to wear with a black skirt.

She couldn't decide if she wanted to put on makeup first or try to get dressed instead. She decided on dressing first as she began to slide her pajama pants off and the skirt on. It slid up her legs easily to rest on her hips. She would just put hose on later.

Hinata selected a lacy white bra, the pattern of the lace being a floral, to wear under the shirt to keep it from being visible so well. The last thing she needed during a lecture was for someone staring through it and that included her professors.

Once she was dressed enough that Itachi wouldn't get some type of an eyeful, she grabbed her cosmetics and headed for the bathroom. They only had one in the apartment between them and she had to be careful with the bathroom times, not that she had ever walked in on him. Usually when she got ready for school in the morning, she didn't need a mirror.

This morning however, she needed one to make sure that she got everything just as the girls had showed her. Over the weekend it hadn't been a problem. Itachi hadn't used it the same time in the morning. She set the makeup and hair products all over the highly polished black counters as she tried to pick out what to apply first.

She was trying not to panic but hurry at the same time. It was proving difficult though. It wasn't that there was a lot of it to put on, just that it something unfamiliar to her and she hadn't been given a lot of time to adjust to it.

"Hn," she heard from beside her. She nearly dropped the thick black eyeliner brush to the immaculate white sink below her. Itachi was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, and an expression torn between just waking up and having his usual morning routine rearranged. His hair was down from its usual elastic, but it wasn't terribly messy. He was wearing little more than a pair of silk black boxers and a pair of socks.

"Oh Itachi-sama-"she started as she tried to reach for the possibly offending cosmetics.

"I'll just come back in a little while," he yawned. He wasn't really bothered. It was too early to be bothered. He knew that Hinata needed to look the part at all times and he didn't feel like he should hinder that. Besides, he didn't need the bathroom for anything other than actually using it, he mused as he walked back to his room to get dressed for the day.

Hinata just stared after him, wide-eyed and terribly confused as to her employer's strange behavior. Deciding that she should use the time wisely, she began to apply them faster and style her hair somewhat. It wasn't quite what it had been when she had first been made over, but it was close enough.

She was a little surprised that she felt as good as she did about it, after she had worried and panicked about being made over in the first place. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she kind of liked the grown-up version of herself she saw. She looked more like her twenty-two years of age instead of the shy and rather scared girl that she felt like.

Before Itachi could show up again, she grabbed her things again and high tailed it out of the bathroom. She couldn't resist the blush however that came along with thinking of him shirtless. He wasn't heavily muscled but he wasn't under muscled either. It was just the right amount of smoothness that showed he had power.

She made sure that she had all of her school things packed before she set out for the less than ten block walk that made her trip to school. Itachi had offered to have a driver take her, but she preferred the walk, no matter what weather. It also made her less of an object for unwanted attention, especially now.

Hinata took a deep breath of the crisp air, allowing it to fill her nose and lungs as she slung her bag over her shoulder and began her steady pace, the flats even making a dull sound against the pavement surfaces. She was trying not to panic and just remain calm as she walked onto the semi-crowded campus grounds, to where Neji would surely be waiting.

She made it all the way across the main courtyard, to the first building where her class was, without meeting Neji once. She didn't have any other friends that would have noticed the change, but everyone she usually passed in the morning gave her strange expressions.

It was only before she entered the classroom that Neji was waiting just in the hallway for her. She gulped as she approached him, gripping the nylon strap of her messenger-style bag. She watched his usually calm and unemotional face change to a look of utter surprise and shock.

"Hinata?" he asked as she stood before him, biting her lip. She wasn't sure if he was unhappy about the change or just shocked beyond further words as they just stood there, staring at one another.

X

**Author's End Note: **Well? Hope to see reviews, whether they're one word or longer, I appreciate them all and wish to see your responses.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Welcome to chapter five! Thank you for all the support on the other chapters, alerts, and favies! Always helps in the writing process. I hope to hear from you after this one.

About this chapter: Once again, no Japanese outside of honorifics. I apologize if anyone is out of character, I hope they're not. Also, remember that this is starting out for fooling the presses with their relationship and all, which you will see later why I have mentioned this. Just so you know that nothing is rushed and all. I am very happy with how this chapter turned out. The next chapter will actually cover the benefit, just so you know. There is no NejiHina in this, sorry if anyone might have been expecting it. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters; I do not own the title of the fic.

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 5

"Hinata," he said again, his milky lavender-colored eyes scanning her widely. She bit her lip a little harder, hoping that since class was going to start in just a matter of minutes that Neji wouldn't do something rash like she was imagining.

"Y-yes?" she asked, noticing that the stutter was coming and going as it pleased. Her nerves were just in such an upheaval from their usual dormant state that her body wasn't always obeying her commands.

"What has _he_ done to you?" he asked dangerously low, grasping her arm and pulling her away from the wood and glass door leading to the safety of the classroom. Neji had placed specific emphasis on 'he' to be directly attributed to denote Itachi.

"What do you m-mean Neji-kun?" She clutched her books and notes tighter to the crisp whiteness of her shirt as she waited for her cousin to explode into one of his rants. People were staring at them as they pushed around them to get to the class.

"I mean, you allowed him to do this to you," he said his eyes narrowing as he gestured to the new look. "He's overstepped his boundaries as your employer. He did that when he asked you to perform this whole silly charade!"

"You don't like the new look?" she asked, her bottom lip trembling. She had rather grown used to it over the weekend. She felt more grown up, more desirable, even if it wasn't to Itachi. She hadn't been able to ignore the stares of the men she passed that morning.

"That's not the issue here Hinata-chan," he said, using a volume just below a full shout. Hinata lowered her eyes to the floor, sinking against the wall behind her. "He's turned you into some type of tool, something for him to use for personal gain, a puppet Hinata, a puppet." He had begun to pace the hall, his sensible brown loafer-esque shoes squeaking across the linoleum.

"You d-don't l-like it?" she pressed, biting her lip after speaking to keep the salty tears from spilling over her dark lower lashes and running lines through the makeup. Neji recognized the tremble in her voice and realized that he was seriously hurting her. He rounded on her, nearly falling.

"I told you that has nothing to do with it. You look very nice," Neji spoke softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to make her look at him. He could see the large tears threatening to fall. He hadn't meant to upset her so much. "I'm just worried about you at this job," he confessed.

"I know," she told him in a rather broken voice. She sounded so defeated that it really hurt Neji. He hadn't meant to be so cruel and uncaring in his delivery of his stacking thoughts.

"Hinata-chan, please forgive me for my behavior," he told her as he sank down enough to be on her level. He brushed some of the hair out of her eyes, noticing how soft the strands were now. He used to have to detangle it when she would come to visit sometimes when Itachi was out of town.

"It is okay," she told him softly, her lavender eyes meeting his. Her tears had not stopped completely, but she was in between one stage and another of ending them.

"I am sorry, it was not my place to reprimand you so," he bowed. "Just please, be careful?"

"Yes, I will be," she nodded, already heeding his advice. She had to after all, as her boss seemed to have no interest in her.

"Good Hinata-chan. Just stay right here and I will grab something for you to wipe your eyes on," he told her softly, straightening up before turning and heading down the hall for the bathrooms. He was worried about her taking on this assignment. But he could worry all he wanted and that wouldn't change her resolve or mind on the matter.

He walked down the now empty halls to the men's restrooms, leaving Hinata standing out in the hall. She knew they were late to class, but that hardly mattered now that she knew how her cousin really felt about the whole deal, makeover and all. She should have known that he was going to react this way; it was just something he did.

Maybe after this was all over she would ask for some time off, just to get away from him, to think. She had been working for him two years after all without much of a break. Hopefully none of this would last long; he would get his deal and then leave her alone, quit torturing her so.

"Here," Neji said as he returned, pressing the soft white tissue into her hands, curling her fingers around the material so that her trembling hands caused by his harsh words wouldn't drop them. He stood a few paces away, allowing her some room to dry her eyes and make sure that the makeup wasn't ruined.

"Do you really think I look good?" she asked, craving his approval almost as much as Itachi's. He was her only and favorite cousin after all. He was the only family that still accepted her.

"Yes Hinata, you look amazing to be quite honest," he nodded. While Neji smiled only as much as her boss did, he allowed his famous half smirk to cross his lips as he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "I promise."

With that, he pulled her into his smoothly muscled arms and gave her a tight embrace. He was like a brother to her, closer than even Hanabi had been. She relished the short safety of his arms, remembering how many hugs he had provided for her when she first left home and had been rather weepy. He had been the only source of comfort she had in the whole world.

"Thank you Neji-kun," she whispered to his shoulder. She breathed in his familiar scent of lavender body wash and musk, feeling nostalgic for the days when she shared an apartment with him.

"No problem Hinata-chan. Now let's get you to class," he said as he gave one last squeeze and let her go. It wasn't like him to give affection so publicly, but they were in the hallway alone. She was glad he had though; she felt renewed and ready to take on the class at least, though the social function still lingered in the back of her mind.

But even through class, her usual concentration was broken with thoughts of what could and would probably go wrong that night.

X

Hinata waved to Neji as she headed off alone for her quiet walk home. There were people still standing around after her classes were completed, just watching as she passed them. She clutched her books to her chest and tried to keep her eyes forward.

"Hey, nice look," someone murmured as she breezed by them. She turned slightly to catch a glimpse of outstanding dark brunette hair and small dark blue John Lennon-like sun glasses. He always kept his long trench-like coat pulled up over the lower half of his face, speaking in a monotone in any of the classes they shared. He was none other than Shino Aburame.

"Thank you," she squeaked. She would have had an interest in him if it wasn't for Itachi clouding her mind all the time. Shino was good looking enough and smart. The young man beside him let out a mock howl. From his sharp canine-like teeth, brunette-auburn messy locks, and strange red tattoos on his face, he was identified as Kiba Inuzuka, another classmate.

She was getting noticed for sure. She wondered how long it would be before someone recognized her from the press and spread the word that she was with Itachi. What was she going to do about the double identity as well? Everyone at school knew her as the Hyuuga while Itachi only knew her as Uzumaki. She hoped that he had forgotten what she had told him, that he wouldn't catch on to her lie.

A cool breeze ruffled her hair, blowing some of the strands in her face, causing her to use a milky hand to pull them aside. She couldn't remember if Itachi was going to be home that afternoon or not as she walked along, her choice of shoes not making more than a whisper now to her half opened ears.

She had some self confidence for that night since Neji had given his approval of her look. She knew he would never agree with her job until the day that she quit it. She didn't have a clue as to what the events this week would be for but she was certain that even if she knew in advance that it wouldn't put her at any more ease.

The old feelings of self loathing and lacking were sure to come flooding back to her as soon as she stepped foot on what would more than likely be polished pristine and expensive flooring, on the arm of one of the most eligible bachelors in the current radius, and in a dress that was probably worth more than her current paycheck.

Suddenly, Hinata felt that she was going to be sick, feeling something similar to bile rising up in her throat. Her soft sounds on the pavement stopped as she stood in place and waited for it to pass. It wasn't moving past her throat. She concentrated on happy memories and the confident thoughts that the night would turn out excellently.

There, that was better. She felt the temporary sickness ease and she was able to walk again. These things just made her so nervous, but this was to make Itachi happy. Hinata wanted more than anything to see Itachi happy, even if meant at the cost of her own. He had enlisted her help when he had his back against the wall; she would help him with any means necessary.

She straightened her spine as she continued along, making a fist with one hand, and her perfect fingernails digging into the soft flesh. She was going to play the part of the confident and supportive trophy fiancée.

As she neared the apartment, she could see Itachi standing outside waiting for her. Her heart beat the blood around her body a lot faster. Was she in trouble? Or was he waiting as a stunt for the press? Both way, he was waiting for her and that boosted her confidence that much more. She let a small grin grace her lips.

"Hinata-chan," he greeted, coming off the steps with a smirk to meet her on the dirty sidewalk. His smooth arms embraced her, encircling her body against his warmth and his own beating heart. Itachi had to admit to himself that while he was waiting for her to show up after school, he hadn't been disappointed by what he saw.

Even without being as made up, she was still beautiful. In fact, she was drop dead gorgeous if he really admitted it to himself. But that was something he really didn't want to relinquish hold of. She was just his employee who happened to clean up very nicely over the weekend.

But he found that she fit against his body nicely, even if it was just a hug for press. He used one hand to lift her face to his, looking deep into the soft pools of lavender light radiating from her milky face. There was so much innocence in that gaze that he found his lips parting in a soft sound.

He figured there was a camera man around somewhere and that a little affection wouldn't hurt. Hinata, on the other hand, was wondering just what Itachi was planning on doing holding her so closely like this. His calloused fingers were a sharp contrast to the softness of her face, but she found herself wondering where else those would feel wonderful touching.

She was helpless as she stared up into his soft dark eyes, watching as they came closer to her own, the only thing she could hear being her own fluttering heart beat. She was powerless to resist otherwise. Itachi couldn't stop his body from moving on its own accord and pressing closer to Hinata's face, his head slightly turned to the left, the classic direction for kissing.

His lips moved until they were almost over hers, their warm breath mixing as time stood still, not even heartbeats ticking the seconds away. He could stop but his inner demons shrieked at him to do it, to kiss her, to claim her lips with his own. He closed the gap.

Hinata's world exploded into a Technicolor ride as she saw fireworks flaming before her eyelids. His petal soft and slightly pale lips were on hers and she wasn't dying. He gently pushed some weight behind them as he hugged her body closer with one arm, the other still resting on her chin.

Her lips tasted so good, as Itachi felt a warm feeling creeping through him. This was all supposed to be an act for any nearby press, but it felt so real. In fact, he wanted it to be real, for just a split second. Something flickered within him, a craving to take more from her right there on the sidewalk.

Her womanly curves were pressing into the soft fabric of the t-shirt and jeans he had donned after his meeting at work. They were both classy vintage, right down to the thinness of the material. He could feel the hardened peaks of her nipples like signals to him that she was enjoying the kiss even more than she let on.

He would have to stop it soon so that he wouldn't be so tempted. He was tainted by her taste though, slipping his tongue slightly between her parted and gasping lips. Not enough that press would catch on, but more than he should have. It was like he could taste the innocence residing within her warm and supple body.

Hinata felt like her whole world had been turned upside down. Her books and hands were pinned against Itachi's body, but that didn't matter one bit. She was too distracted by the fact that his lips were on hers; his tongue was slipping into her slightly parted mouth. She had gasped unexpectedly.

Her heart was hammering to break free as it wasn't sure it could take anymore. She fought the urge to moan as he tasted and teased her for only a second. This was what made the whole deal worth it. Itachi Uchiha was kissing her and only her. He was her first kiss as well.

Withdrawing his wandering tongue, he opened his eyes and let go of her enough that she could draw in a full breath. He already missed the warm and supple cavern of her mouth and instantly regretted ending the kiss so abruptly. She stared up at him; those decorated lips slightly glossy from his saliva, from his mark upon her, her lavender eyes wide but free of fear.

"How was your school day?" he asked, a hint of a smile gracing his lips as he moved her beside him, keeping a protective arm around her waist, leading her into the apartment. Itachi had never taken much of an interest in her school before. She figured it must be because there was a possibility that someone was around.

"Oh, it was fine," she answered smoothly, hoping that she was keeping the nervousness out of her voice. It broke her fragile heart a little more that he probably really didn't care whether she was doing fine or terrible at school, but it was nice in a twisted sort of way that he asked her.

"Good," he smiled as he led her up the steps. It wasn't right, Itachi knew, leading her and the press along like that. But once he started thinking about it, he really didn't know how her schooldays usually went. He had never taken time to learn much about her. She nodded as they disappeared into the apartment, to the safety of locked glass doors.

But instead of releasing her waist like he had planned, he held on a little longer. It had been a long time since he had felt the unmistakable warmth of a woman beside him. Hinata was still looking up at him, her beautiful face a mix of several emotions, but none of them bad.

"There were cameras?"

"Most likely." They stood there in the hall, him just staring down at her. He wondered just how much of that had been for the possible cameras and how much of it had been to satisfy his curiosity of how delicious his house keeper was, which didn't satiate his raging tastes.

"Did I do well?" she asked innocently, her eyes bright even in the dark lighting. Even if this was all a guise, she wanted to please him; she wanted to do the job right. She was trying to convince herself that she was performing a task, just like any other. But it was so much more to her than it probably would ever to be to him.

"Yes, excellent. You will do just fine tonight." He took his hands off of her as slowly as possible to as not to arouse her suspicion. He would have loved to have kept his hands on her right there, just to feel that body heat.

"Okay Itachi-sama," she smiled, relieved that she had his approval. Itachi could see that it was a genuine smile. It brightened her whole face. While it wasn't as full as most, it was something like an innocent and shy kind of lip parting but it struck him in a way that it hadn't before. She felt like she had gained some type of pass and that served to boost her confidence more than ever before.

"You need to be ready by six," he explained.

"What is the event for?" She probably wouldn't understand all of the exact details or know any of his friends, but she felt that she had enough say in the matter to ask such a question of him. He hadn't expected her to ask anything, just to perform. This was a little different side of his employee, but he found that he didn't mind it.

"It is a benefit for some type of endangered plant by a man named Zetsu. Someone I work with."

"Oh, I understand." She recognized the name from conversations.

"Hn, it should be alright, though social events are not really my thing," he nodded.

"Oh me either," she blurted out. Hinata rarely ever spoke exact raw thoughts. She usually mulled them over many times before she voiced them. She was never so rash as to speak to her employer about things that might give her past away.

"Hm?" Itachi had heard her, but he wanted to play as if he didn't, just to see what she would do.

"Oh, just the last time I went t-to any event it didn't go as planned." It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie. He was her employer and he did ask, just not directly.

"I see. I hope that everything well tonight. Just be read by six," he nodded.

"I will," she nodded, looking down at the floor and returning to her usual shy self. Itachi merely nodded as he headed back to his office. He just couldn't stop thinking about her and all of the different views of her he was getting in just one weekend.

Hinata headed to her room to work on homework until time to change once again.

X

Itachi stood at the end of the hallway, checking his very expensive but very slick and efficient watch. It was nearly six and the car was sure to be there soon. The benefit started at six thirty, but they needed the extra time to navigate other couples and the press.

He tapped his foot, feeling impatient, which was rather out of character for him. Was it because he was dying to know what his housekeeper was going to wear? He shook his head, telling himself that in just a matter of time this would all be over with and they would go back to their normal relationship.

But as much as he tried to make her into just another tool of convenience, the harder it was to think of her as his housekeeper and not another lover. It was like she had cast some sort of spell over him, just with all the simple things he was beginning to notice about her.

He heard her bedroom door shut with a soft 'click' and saw her form outlined in the dark hall. Her heels made small 'ticks' on the floor as she began to walk down the hall to greet him. His dark eyes roamed up and down her body, taking in the floor-length silky black gown she had donned. The material fell around her ankles gracefully accentuating her strappy heels and shapely feet.

The material flared only a little below her hips, hugging the rest of the way up, giving her a smooth and professional look. The top was strapless, leaving her pale skin clad collarbone and neck exposed along with her shoulders and some of her back.

She had let her raven locks fall loose around her hips, curled and pieces framing her only slightly made up face. She had her usual shy smile in place as she came to stand in front of him. She looked just the part, but Itachi found that his thoughts were straying again from anything employee related.

"Are we ready to go?" he heard her sweet voice asking as she stood there unsurely, clutching the small handbag she had in her pale hands.

"Mhm," he nodded as he stepped and took her slender arm in his. It was going to be an interesting night.

X

**Author's End Note: **Like it? I hope so. I also hope to hear from everyone!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Welcome again to the next installment of If I Fell. This is chapter six of course. Thank you for all the reviews, favs, alerts, and even just clicks on the other chapters of this fic. I really really appreciate your support and hope to keep hearing from you all! This is the benefit chapter that you've been waiting for.

About this chapter: Nothing but honorifics this time as well. Also, the reflections of the characters to the made up women do not reflect the views of the author and I am not bashing any lifestyle, look, etc. I just needed a contrast and all for Hinata and Itachi, etc. So, please, don't get offended, no harm was meant it's only fiction after all. I apologize if anyone is OOC. I think that's about it for now. Hope you enjoy!

Please make note that I am starting another wonderful fall semester and updates may or may not be as fast as they have been.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters or the title of the fic.

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 6

Hinata gripped the wrap a little tighter, having left it in the hall for Itachi before they left. It covered the exposed part of her back along with some of the top of the dress, falling across her pale arms, and now settled across her lap as they walked out of the apartment. The air was cold and she was very grateful for his warmth.

Itachi's arm was around waist, holding her closely to him which was fast becoming routine. She couldn't believe that she was actually going to do this again, after several years of keeping herself out of the limelight. Would her secret be exposed tonight? If it was, she didn't think Itachi would forgive her. She just hoped the press wouldn't be asking questions as she tried to keep her nerves under control. She wasn't the scared eighteen year old anymore; she was twenty and a college student.

Itachi could feel the silken material against his fingers. He usually associated it with the dresses that the models wore or the nightgowns they always seemed to have. It was a fine material, and made a fine dress on the frame of Hinata. He couldn't stop glancing down at her, as if he thought that the beautiful image before him was going to melt away.

She was going to fit into his type of society nicely, of course. But something pulled at him, something that was unusual. He was scared of the limelight and the iconic style transforming her before the deal was ever completed. At the end of the day, he still wanted her to take care of him. _Isn't that like a wife?_ His confused mind prompted. He quickly brushed the thought away.

Itachi held the door of the familiar black lacquered car, holding her hand gently as she stepped and then ducked inside, falling onto the expensive beige leather seats, and feeling as if she would slide off the edge in her dress. She gathered the lower part of her dress as Itachi shut the door quietly behind her.

Her nervous heart was pounding as she listened to Itachi's black leather shoes 'click' against the pavement while he walked around to the other side of the car. He opened the door, exposing both of them to a brief smell of the cool night air. It was beginning to smell like fall with the dead leaves and festivals. It calmed her somewhat as Itachi's slender body fell into the seat beside her. She could smell his cologne, sandalwood, presumably by a well known company.

She was afraid to move, for fear of doing something to embarrass herself. She kept her hands folded in her lap, her purse to the side and the wrap smoothed out, looking straight ahead only glancing at him every now and again. Itachi was staring out the window, watching the golden lights of the neighborhood fly past the reflected windows.

Hinata was quiet, but then again she was always quiet. Itachi wondered just what was going on in that styled head of hers. She was staring straight ahead, very obedient and serene, just as he wanted her, but he had to wonder if she was in the least unhappy. Her face was betraying whatever was occurring in her head. For her sake, as well as his sanity, he hoped that the evening wouldn't last long. Not that he didn't want to be in her company, just that he couldn't get over how different she looked; how raging his basic most urges were becoming.

He realized, as he rode with her, that he honestly knew nothing about her. They were not going to be answering questions of the press and his friends wouldn't ask too much about her. It was tragic and common for them to only date women for one thing, the exception being Pein, though Itachi had his doubts.

Itachi wasn't even dating Hinata, much less going through with a wedding of course, but he had still known her long than most of the fresh blood hungry men that would be there tonight. He would have to protect her from his world, full force, since she was just his housekeeper. But strangely, the thought was appealing. It had been a long time since he had been anything other than an employer or a one-night lover to someone.

He glanced over at her again, just in time to see her look away shyly. In the mostly dark back of the car with the streetlights picking up her creamy skin, she was elegant. None of the other girls he had brought home with him had looked quite like this, with her quiet beauty and mysterious air.

"Hinata-san," he started, hoping to draw her back into him. She looked so far away gazing out at the sidewalks that way. He wondered if maybe it had something to do with this whole arrangement.

"Hm?" she questioned, turning to see what he needed. It was an automatic and rather trained gesture. He realized just how attuned to him she really was. She was always very prompt with her answers to him.

"You look very elegant tonight," he commented. Her heart beat twice as fast for a few moments. Itachi had commented her? Itachi never commented anyone, least of all her. But she found that was happening more. What was he thinking? Did he really mean it or was it just to fluff her a little? She would just take it at face value.

"Thank you Itachi-sama," she nodded, a smile pulling at her glossed lips, seeming to change her already breathtaking features. His eyes lingered on her longer than he had meant to, but she made no move to look away. He could feel his chest tighten a little with her gaze, which had never happened.

"Hn." He turned to looking back out the window. Anything to look away from her, from her captivating eyes which were taking him under her spell. She would suck him in and he wouldn't be able to resist and all she will have done was look at him. This night was going to be even more difficult before. He had to get control.

She glanced at him again, wondering if he could hear the thundering of her heartbeat when he had looked at her just second before. Did he understand just how excited she was that he was taking notice of her? How nervous she was to be back in the limelight and within range of so many prying men?

No, judging from the way he was staring out the window he was just as ready to get it over and get back to just sleeping with anything. She wasn't special to Itachi.

They pulled up to a mob of flash bulbs in front of what looked rather like a museum. Hinata couldn't be sure with all of the excitement. There were other cars like theirs with some of the most elegant men and women stepping out onto the sidewalk. She was temporarily afraid that she would be blinded from all the attention.

She was aware of Itachi getting out of the car and walking around to her side. She could tell because the door opened and he was standing there offering her his hand. She wasn't able to hear much of anything because of the noise from the photographers and the press crowding around.

She took it, feeling the warm and surprisingly supple skin against hers, as he almost lifted her out of the car. He was like her life support for the night into this brilliant world of fake that she had once been a part of herself. She stared up into his deep hazel eyes as she was pulled officially from her world and into his, all with that simple movement.

Itachi wrapped his arm around her waist as he led her through the fray. He could feel her shaking and rethought the whole deal for just a second before they were bombarded.

"Uchiha-san, can you give us a statement for the-"

"Over here Uchiha-san is it true tha-"

"The woman with you, can you te-"

"What is her name?"

"Uchiha-san! Both of you smile over here!" a young photographer shouted.

"Hinata-chan, tell them nothing," Itachi smiled grimly.

"Yes Itachi-kun," she smiled as well. So they were back to familiar titles now. He kept her in almost a possessive hold as they continued walking to the held doors. Everything looked so expensive, Hinata noticed, just like it always had.

Once they entered through the heavy doors with the stoic doormen in suits and bowties, the whole world seemed bathed in gold to her eyes. Gold jewelry glittered off the women's chests and wrists, mixing with their beige and gold dresses against the black of the men's suits. Not every woman wore gold, but it sure seemed like it, with their beautiful blond locks.

What Hinata really noticed was how most of the women looked alike. Blond hair, short dresses, most with older men, their skinny figures, and golden brown tans. They were all around her age, maybe older. They were unable to think on their own, having to depend on someone to lead them around.

Hinata felt sorry for them. While they would have their perfect looks for only a short time, she would always have her education to guide her through life, even if she soon lost her job with Itachi. She was right, she realized with a little smile, to leave this whole gilded world and pursue her dreams.

"May I take that for you?" a young girl in front of her asked. She was probably around eighteen or nineteen, dressed very simply. She didn't look at Hinata, just asked and waited for her black silk wrap. Hinata wanted to tell the girl she understood how it was to serve others, that she didn't have to take it, but before she could open her mouth, the girl brushed around her and took it.

"Thank you," she managed to say before Itachi was leading her along, missing his overcoat. She would be in the papers and magazines the next day probably. Itachi scanned the room for Zetsu, wondering if he would even get to converse with the man that night or if it would just have to wait until another time.

"Itachi-sama!" someone called from across the room. They both looked to see a blond in a pinstriped suit heading for them alone. His hair was put up in a ponytail with some hanging across his left eye. It was probably around his waist long and very well taken care of. It reminded Hinata of Itachi's some.

"Deidara-san," he nodded. Hinata could tell that the blond was giving them a rather fake smile. Hinata had of course never heard of him.

"Is this the one that the rumors are speaking of?" he nodded toward Hinata.

"Yes, this is Hinata," Itachi said as she held out her hand obediently. Deidara took it, planting a gentle kiss upon it as his intense blue eyes searched her over, as if looking for some flaw, like why she was with Itachi.

"Pleasure to meet you of course," he smiled at her. She didn't like his smile one bit. It reminded her of a hungry animal, the type that was caged for days on purpose, just to be set free and cause carnage and havoc.

"You as well," she nodded. Itachi knew that Deidara wasn't fond of him at all; in fact, word was that he hated Itachi and his cousin Madara with a passion, although he wasn't exactly clear as to why. But at these events, everyone was nice.

"She is everything the rumors said were true," he said. "You are very lucky," he smiled again.

"Thank you, I am very lucky to have Hinata-chan," Itachi smiled down at her. She felt a little more assured with him beside her, smiling down at her and reassuring her as Deidara made her nervous.

"I will talk to you later then," he said as he walked away. Itachi just nodded, glad to be rid of him. Trays of champagne were passing by them. Itachi stopped one of the almost faceless and certainly nameless waiters, grabbing two fluted glasses of the golden bubbly, handing one to Hinata.

She realized that she was finally able to drink the champagne legally now. Hanabi had always managed to drink it at the events with no one caring, even trying to sneak some to Hinata. She had always refused to drink it. Now she was holding the delicate glass in her hand and she wasn't sure what to do with it.

"You can drink it you know," Itachi told her coolly, "it's not poisoned or drugged." She nodded, holding the glass against her nervous lips, sipping back on the liquid. It wasn't the greatest tasting stuff in the world, her never having alcohol.

Itachi watched out of the corner of his eye with an amused smirk as they walked around. So, she had never had alcohol before. He had figured as much, since he had enough of it around the house to entertain and none of it ever went missing or appeared to have some missing. It seemed to just float in her stomach. She felt even more uncomfortable, even though it wasn't very strong alcohol.

She merely hung on his arm as they walked around, since she didn't know anyone. She clutched the glass hard enough to crack it in her fingers. He nodded at a lot of people as they passed. Hinata was behaving, just as he had wished. She was of course acting to his wishes, as she was too sad to do anything since she had allowed herself back into this world of glitz and glam.

She felt like just an object for friends and business partners and the like of Itachi's to stare at and appraise. Really, that was all she was she guessed. They were all very polite to her, but she could feel their eyes and hear their thoughts. It disgusted her.

He couldn't ignore the stares that she was receiving, the way that other men's eyes traveled on her exposed body. She looked different from the eye candy they had sticking to their arms. She was real, something genuine. Itachi was ever more pleased to have her beside him tonight. In comparison to the women that he usually brought with him at these events, Hinata was something different, something rare.

"Itachi-kun," he heard a familiar voice call from behind them. He stopped and turned carefully with her on his arm as his eyes found Pein yelling after him. His usual body modifications were in place. As famous as Pein was in the world of business, no one dared to question him on his unconventional methods of appearance.

Pein was really an attraction all on his own. He had multiple piercings varying from rings to studs to rods in just the cartilage of his ears under unruly auburn to orange hair. In his nose he had six silver balls, three on each side, Itachi presumed to be attached to both ends of a bar just below the surface. His lower lip was decorated with a spike on either side. He had rather strange golden to grey eyes that just seemed to stare right through everything.

The woman on his arm was a rare find herself. She had hair color in some shade of purple, closer to black, with longer bangs parted on the side and rather combed over, giving her the appearance of longer hair, with the rest pulled up in a bun on the right top of her head with a brilliant and pristine white rose pinned in front.

Her skin was exceptionally pale with gunmetal grey eyes surrounded with minimal ebony eye makeup, rosy red lips, and a labret piercing. She had the most docile expression on her face, almost appearing to be deeply sad. She looked like Hinata felt, but she was beautiful, none the less and different like herself.

They had come dressed in things that Hinata thought rock stars wore, with fishnet items under their suits and dresses, going for and pulling off the whole edgy fashion model look as well. They didn't seem to care about anyone's opinions of them.

"Pein-kun and Konan-san," Itachi smiled as soon as he saw them. The couple came to stand in front of Hinata and Itachi. Pein was grinning widely, like the benefit wasn't some sort of torture but rather a party.

"Who is this?" he gestured toward Hinata.

"My fiancée, Hinata. Hinata-chan, this is one of my business partners, Pein-kun and his fiancée, Konan-san," Itachi introduced.

"Pleasure to meet both of you," Hinata smiled as warmly as she could. She did like both of them, since they fit in about as much as she felt she did. She bowed some.

"You too Hinata-san. So Itachi-kun, you're finally going to settle down huh? With your housekeeper? Never would have found you the type," Pein poked.

"Yes, it is all happening very soon. What about you and Konan-san. When are you going to tie the knot?" Itachi asked.

"Soon, right honey?" he asked her as he squeezed her a little tighter to him.

"Yes," she answered softly, avoiding his gaze. The woman looked so sad that Hinata wanted to reach out and squeeze her hand, tell her that everything is going to be okay, or give her a hug.

"Well I guess the dinner part is going to start soon," Pein pointed out.

"Would you like to sit beside me?" Konan asked Hinata. Hinata remembered that it seemed the men sat across the table from the women.

"Sure, I like that," Hinata answered, feeling like Konan was the one woman she would be able to get along with in the whole place, since they seemed to be in similar predicaments. The men walked ahead of them while Konan held back to walk with Hinata.

"I've never seen you before," Konan mentioned quietly. "You're not like the ones that he usually tortures himself with." Hinata wasn't sure to take it as a compliment or an insult, so to keep it neutral she answered:

"Oh?"

"Yes, you're like me, more refined. Are you sure you haven't done this?"

"I'm just good with orders," she said. It wasn't a confession. She figured this woman had never heard of her, but she couldn't be too careful, since she didn't know what her family said about her anymore. Probably just called her the black sheep a lot or maybe they had stopped speaking of her altogether.

"Well, that is nice. I'm just glad to have someone else here I can get along with," the woman smiled. Hinata figured she was probably a little older, like around Itachi's age. But already she was so sad. She was getting married soon; Hinata thought that she should have been happy. Or maybe she was, and she just mistook her sadness for a docile personality.

"Yes, me too," she gave Konan a small grin.

"The girls that are usually on Itachi's arm prefer to speak about popular and unimportant things," Konan commented. "You're content just to remain quiet, yes?"

"Yes." They were similar.

There was a long table already set with expensive dining ware, while more of the nameless waiters pulled out the chairs for the feminine guests. The women sat across from their male escorts, Konan sitting on one side of Hinata while a chattering blond sat on the other.

Hinata couldn't remember her name and after listening to her speak for what felt like hours, she didn't care. It was hard to carry on any type of conversation with Konan at all over her noise. The food was the typical extremely fancy and extremely expensive type served in small amounts. She could see Itachi glancing at her every now and again while speaking with Pein and the blond whose name she couldn't remember.

Itachi watched Hinata closely across the table. Was a he worried about her? He could tell that Konan had taken a special interest in her. The slightly older woman had never taken an interest in any of the other girls he brought along. He realized, as he watched, that they bore similar expressions of something akin to sadness.

He didn't even want to be at this benefit. He could see Zetsu sitting at the head of the table, looking as dark mannered as always, but had yet to speak with him. He was bored with Deidara and Pein for once, wanting to know what Hinata was thinking of her plunge into his world. He guessed the chatting blond beside his young housekeeper was the woman that Deidara had dragged along, though he knew the man had eyes for Konan.

What a tangled mess all of it was and he couldn't stand being there any longer, at least at the table. No, it extended to the whole event tonight, and it looked as if Hinata was feeling kind of the same. Giving Pein and Deidara excuses, he rose from the table and made his way around to Hinata's side.

"Would you like to go dance?" he asked, offering her his hand. He, of course, knew that they were not going to head out for the dance floor; they were going to leave through the back.

"Sure," she nodded. "Just a moment. Excuse me Konan-chan," she smiled, gripping the woman's hand as a sign of friendship before she took Itachi's. It was kind of cute he found himself thinking as she slipped her hand in his. He guessed he owed her one dance before he left into the night with her. She did have classes the next day he thought, just as he had business trips.

No, one dance would never hurt. He led her out to the polished white marble floor, his hand on her waist. Hinata could feel her pulse race some, as she realized just how intimate they were about to become. Dancing with Itachi, not something she had figured would happen that evening as he pulled her to his chest, placing her hands on his shoulders as his rested on her waist.

She merely stared at his chest because she wasn't sure that she could look him in the eyes and not faint. His hands were heavier than she thought they would be, but that weight was welcomed since he was holding her to him, his fingers gently moving across the fabric alternating between squeezing and resting.

Her hands just gripped since she was so sure that she would crumple to the floor from her nerves. This was something she had only dreamed about. One of Itachi's hands moved from her waist to her chin, lifting her pale eyes to his dark chocolate. She tried not to tense up.

"Just relax and look up," he told her softly, releasing her chin to rest his hand back on her waist. She wasn't nearly as slim and flat as most of the girls he dated, but that was a nice change. It wasn't like holding a stick figure to him, but more like a real woman. She wasn't fat, that wasn't it at all, and the others were not anorexic thin, there was just a difference.

"Okay," she breathed. Her eyes were captivating him again. Itachi felt like he was falling under some sort of spell again, holding her to him with the soft music playing in the background. Under the dim glow of the dance floor, she was even more alluring than before.

He pulled her to him a little closer causing her to wrap her arms around his neck. It didn't even matter who was watching them now. She could feel herself melting into him, all of her nervousness sort of dissipating in the dance. The beat was slow and so they merely turned close circles, but they could have stood still and Hinata wouldn't have cared.

"Would you like to leave now?" he asked, realizing that his voice was a little lower. Was it with lust?

"Yes, that's fine." He let go enough to grab her hand as they headed off the dance floor. People would understand if they disappeared, since they were supposed to be engaged after all. They would mistake it for alone time.

X

**Author's End Note: **What do you think? Hope to hear from you soon!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **I have returned with chapter seven! I am so sorry for the wait. I have had school things to get used to and other fiction to keep up with. I really hope this chapter makes up for it. Thank you for all the reviews, alerts, and favs so far! Please keep them coming! I really love hearing from you guys! So, let's get right into everything.

About this chapter: there is a sort of lemon to it, now, before you say that's too sudden, don't worry, things will be balanced out and it's really sort of minor compared to future events probably. Besides, slight alcohol was involved, no woman for several months, pretty Hinata, the cold. Loads of things figured into this and I do not find it spontaneous. Besides, who would stop Itachi in the backseat of a car anyway? Exactly. So, hope you enjoy and don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'm also sorry if this chapter is a bit shorter than my others, but I couldn't end it any other way and still have a plan, just rambling there for a second. We also kind of hear from her family, er kind of. So, more drama and such in future chapters. I hope you enjoy this one for now. Please review and tell me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters or the title of the fic. I only own characters I made up. No money is made from this.

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If I Fell

Chapter 7

Hinata found it hard to keep her feet from slipping across the polished floors of the halls as they all but ran through the back sections of the building. She wasn't disappointed that she was leaving early only that she hadn't been able to say goodbye to Konan properly.

She glanced up at Itachi's profile helplessly, wondering if she had done something wrong or if he was angry with her and that was the reason for their swift departure. He had asked her of course, if she was ready to leave, but since her boss was fully capable of lying perfectly, it was next to impossible to tell.

His hand gripped hers surely as they stepped out into the chilly night. Her wrap was at the door but from Itachi's behavior, she didn't feel the need to remind him. Though, she couldn't stop herself from shivering as the night air hit her pale skin and tried to hide it from Itachi.

Itachi couldn't ignore that he had just pulled her out the backdoor and into a different environment. He figured that she probably thought he was upset with her and that wasn't the case at all. What he had grown sick of watching was how the other men of the benefit gazed upon her as if she were a fresh piece of meat.

But wasn't that how he had spent the night staring at her? He ignored the thought. She was everything any successful man would crave to have by his side. She was quiet, polite, docile, and beautiful, he could go on all night. In fact, she was out in the cold now and wasn't even complaining. Any one of those blonds would have worried about catching a cold or having left their wrap or jacket at the front.

He pulled out his cell phone and called for Akira to come around to the side and pick them up where the press would never find them. Hinata was still trying to keep her body from acting out its natural process of reacting to the change in weather when she felt Itachi's arms wrap around her, shielding her open back with his chest as they walked carefully toward the opening in buildings.

He wasn't worried about anything getting them in the semi darkness. He could feel those luminescent lavender eyes upon him as she was no doubt trying to explain his sudden change in demeanor. He was no longer her cold boss but instead her protector. He was more worried about her suddenly catching cold all because he couldn't stand anyone else seeing his housekeeper in a new light.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly so that only she could hear.

"Yes, I'm fine," she chattered. She couldn't stop it. She felt so incredibly exposed, not only from the dress but from the people at the benefit and from her boss as well.

"Just one minute and the car will be here," he told her as they neared the end of the alleyway. She could see the familiar black lacquer in the orange light of the streetlamps and business signs still running at this time of night and could never remember feeling so relieved.

He opened the door and all but pushed her in on the leather seats as he fell in behind her, shutting the door to keep the chill separated. She felt like she was going to slide off the seat in the silken dress but she felt Itachi's arms snake around her waist, the jacket absorbing her cold. He pulled her to his chest, holding on and she wasn't dreaming.

"Are you warming up?" he asked, his hot breath washing over the shell of her ear, allowing her to bathe in temporary warmth. Was that why he was still holding onto her? She had though that he didn't care and found her repulsive, but his arms were still tight. Itachi hadn't realized how delicate she really was until he was holding her almost in his lap. She was like holding a piece of glass; beautiful to look at but extremely fragile.

"Y-yes," she answered, feeling her heart beat faster as her pale cheeks began to color. She was beginning to warm up, with possibilities of what could happen in this particular position. No, Itachi was just being polite. She couldn't believe she was stuttering now. He could feel her trembling, though he wasn't sure if it was because she was cold or nervous anymore.

"Good," he breathed. He could smell her body wash very faintly. He remembered it was some type of jasmine. It was intoxicating though, tempting him to taste her neck. He rubbed her arms, trying to coax some heat back into them. He couldn't have her catching something because he was careless.

Usually by now he was lip-locked with his escort for the night as clothing became rumpled and hair tangled in between long fingers. This was a very tempting position though. He could easy plant a few gentle kisses to the soft flesh of her neck or nibble on her earlobe possibly causing a few delicious gasps of pleasure and surprise.

Her collarbone was exposed and calling to him to leave red marks and a thin trail of saliva from the bone to her shoulders. It wouldn't be so difficult to move the top of the dress down enough to expose her gentle breasts. The line between employee and lover was growing fainter with every new thought.

His large palms smoothed over the skin of her arms gently as he rested his head on her shoulder as part of a natural reaction. She wasn't protesting though as his hands began to travel to her upper arms, still rubbing. She could feel her skin flushing from Itachi's touches, shivering from her sensitive skin. She had only dreamed of this occurring.

He wanted to stop himself from resting his head and continuing to touch her even though her skin had warmed up, but he couldn't. Itachi was certain that he had never felt fine materials as rich as her natural skin. He couldn't stop touching it no matter how much his brain screamed at him to stop. Hinata wasn't protesting.

She shut her eyes in pleasure from his touch as he pressed his supple lips to her right shoulder blade, just enough contact. She could feel a shooting sensation through her spin like having electricity pumped into her system. This wasn't really happening was it?

But his lips traveled from her shoulder to her back, ghosting over the skin and setting any place they touched on fire. Her flesh was as silky and soft as it appeared Itachi reveled as he shut his eyes. His slightly calloused hands still traveled over her skin still, squeezing and kneading at random as he began to press his lips to other bare parts. Hinata just held perfectly still, though she couldn't resist a gasp or barely audible moan.

His lips ghosted over to her other shoulder, gently pressing and nudging. He could feel the flush traveling as well and it was hard not to smirk. She had never been touched properly, though he was surprised with a body like hers. One of his hands moved to brush her thick hair aside and give him direct access to her neck.

As his lips pressed to the sensitive skin, she gasped, her eyes opening wide. "Ah," she gasped as he moved his lips again, holding her firmly to his lap. She now forgot all about being cold just minutes before. Itachi couldn't stop the smirk as he worked his way up, kissing softly, to her earlobe grabbing it with his teeth.

"Mm," he mumbled as he nibbled gently before licking behind her ear. She squirmed around on his lap slightly, the space between her legs growing uncomfortably hot and wet from his attention. His other hand thought before his brain could process and began to cup one of her breasts through the silken material as the other focused on pulling her mouth to his.

He had never done any of these acts with a girl as docile as Hinata and it was a nice change for someone to allow him to inject pleasure through their system without any incentive to take the lead. Even simple things like butterfly touches seemed to earn a reaction from her. Itachi had never had a woman quite a sensitive as her.

"Mmph," she cried against his lips as he was still cupping her right breast in his large hand. It fit so perfectly, just enough for him to cup and get reactions from her. His skilled tongue darted across her bottom lip as she opened her mouth to accommodate him. Her eyes were wide, unused to such attention. He could still taste her innocence, but couldn't help but notice he was about to taint that.

This act was so much more than what had happened on the sidewalk for the possible press. Here, in the back of the car there was no press and he was fondling her. She was like a drug, he couldn't stop. Her nipple was peeking through the dress from his attention of rolling it between his thumb and index finger.

Not only were her lips covered in the gloss of his saliva, but her shoulder, neck, and earlobe were as well. That thought pleased him for some reason as he began to gently stroke her tongue with his own, mixing the fluid even more as he pressed her against him. He was taking even more than earlier that day on the sidewalk. Hinata could feel her heart pounding against her breastplate again, like earlier from his ministrations but there was nothing she could do except gasp and lightly moan into his kiss.

Those womanly curves were even more evident against him now that she was sitting in his lap, pressed against him. He was having trouble thinking as he searched the warm cavern of her mouth, feeling every indention or crevice that his experienced tongue to search out.

Hinata's world was alive with fireworks and sensations through her body. She fought to keep from convulsing though her back arched a little. Her hands remained in her lap, feeling like weights holding the rest of her pleasured body down. No one had ever touched her or created the sensations that were occurring now.

"Itachi-sama," she gasped as he allowed her to breathe. His hand was still resting on her breast while the other cupped her chin. He opened his eyes to find that soft lavender ones were staring back at him. The hot reality came back to him that she was still him employee and they were just pretending. She wasn't just another lover. He shouldn't have done that.

"Hinata," he all but whispered as his hands dropped. She looked away from the enticing dark chocolate orbs watching her. She wasn't really ashamed as she had done nothing wrong. Her body was hot and awake with feelings that she had never encountered before.

"Forgive me," he said as he looked out the window at the lights and bright signs flashing by. She slid off his lap and to the other side of the car.

"No, it's okay." There was a heavy and awkward silence between them. It had been a long time he had bedded a woman and instinct had taken over Itachi guessed. He couldn't get her tasted of his mouth though, the brush of her flesh against his lips, and the feel of her curves in his hand. It should not have happened, most of all to her. This was just an act, just a false story. He had let his basic needs get control for a minute.

Hinata wasn't sure how to react. She knew they had not planned for this to happen, probably Itachi most of all. It was just instinct, just need, and just an accident. But still, her heart beat fast when she thought about it and her core burned hot. Itachi crossed his legs to try to hide just how much his body responded to the temptation.

They remained silent until they arrived back at the apartment, then it was awkward goodnights before they disappeared to their separate rooms.

Hinata crashed on her bed before she bothered getting out of the dress. She couldn't believe how everything was happening. She had taken steps further into sexual experience in one day than had been taken in her whole life. She could hardly breathe when she thought about how well the things Itachi had been doing to her had felt.

Her hand gently wandered all over her body, recalling where he had been moments ago. Her heart pounded and her breathing hitched as she slid out of the dress. She didn't feel up to getting a shower as she wanted to savor the strangest night of her entire life.

Itachi had stripped down and was just resting above his covers as his mind wandered over his actions. Hinata had been so willing just to let him pleasure her, to see how far he would take things. As far as he could remember, there had never been another girl like her. If he continued to think about it, sleep was a long way off.

X

When Hinata awoke the next morning before school, the door had already slammed leaving her alone as usual. She didn't want to move though. Had she just dreamed the whole night before with Itachi in the back of his car? She was scared she had, but then again, that type of behavior was never going to work for the relationship they shared.

She wasn't dreaming it though, as her hair was still curled and the makeup came off on her pale hand. She even still lightly smelled of Itachi. Her pale lips pulled back into a somewhat guilty smile as she recalled the events again. Even if it never happened again and she left the job soon after completing this task for him, then she would always have that memory.

She pulled her tired limbs from the bed as she stumbled toward the bathroom. It didn't matter how she looked as he wasn't home to see her and she was too worn out to really care. She had to get ready in time to make it to school on time, even if she felt like she was moving in slow motion. She would just have to put aside what had happened last night.

X

"Father, have you seen these morning headlines?" Hanabi asked her father as she cradled her expensive pink phone with one ear and painted her long fingernails with the other, the bright pink resting over a picture of a dark-haired woman and her companion on the front page of the gossip section.

"No Hanabi, you know that I never read _your_ section of the paper if I can help it," he told her as he signed off on some contracts.

"Well, there is something you would probably be interested in," she smirked.

X

Hinata rushed around the kitchen looking for any appliances that were still running with a piece of half burned toast hanging from her lips and her school books in her arms. She was going to be late for her first class if she didn't hurry and leave the apartment soon.

Deciding that everything was turned off, she headed for the door. But something caught her pale eyes, stopping her in her tracks.

There on the table near the door was a newspaper clipping and a note. Hinata's free hand bypassed the note for later as she picked up the clip and examined it. No doubt he probably acquired it from Kisame or the early morning paper. It showed them from the back walking into the benefit with her looking nervous while Itachi looked cool as usual.

It was strange to see herself in the paper again, printed in black and white in what she and Hanabi had termed the gossip section of the paper. It was proof that last night had really taken place and wasn't just some sick fantasy for her. She was holding it in her hand. Everyone would see it at some time or another, she knew, but it didn't have her name and no one could be sure.

The text read _Uchiha Itachi seen in the company of unfamiliar woman. Rumored to be his housekeeper. He has been single for months now since the one night stand with actress Hiro Hana, leaving her with a broken heart. He is still in the top three of most desirable men of the year…_

Hinata didn't care about the rest of the article. Would her family have seen this?

X

"So are you going to contact Itachi?" Hanabi asked in a bored tone as she waited for her father's response impatiently.

"No, I'll just let him find out what a screw up she really is," her father huffed, though his hand tapped near the phone anyway. "Not unless there was something in it for me."

X

Hinata was sure they probably had, the question should have been what they were going to do about it. She doubted anything though, unless it was profitable for them. She would have to keep a careful eye on everything now that she was turning up in the media. She just hoped that she could keep the truth from Itachi as long as possible.

She wondered how he would take it if he knew that she lied and was really a former heiress. She could image that the reaction wouldn't be pretty to say the least. But more importantly, would her classmates notice and make the connection? That was exactly why she didn't make any attempts to get to know her classmates better and vice versa.

School was going to be interesting with this early morning news and her burning memories of the night before.

X

**Author's End Note: **Review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Wow, I realized I had left this for nearly a month, just letting you guys all hang on for a while. Sorry, really. Let me explain, or try to anyway. Okay, first my computer monitor had some problems so I was forced to send it back to the company and be without it for a while, poor me I know. Second, I went to Anime Weekend Atlanta and that actually took some getting ready for. I was Matt from Death Note, feel free to check my deviantart for pictures of myself and things I saw. Third, school has of course given me a usual beating. So, don't feel sorry for me at all really as I feel bad for letting this go so long. Anyway, here we go.

Thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter! I am actually stunned with how many responses I got and I am so glad you guys like this story. It is honestly one of my favorites, if that isn't weird to say. I hope to hear more from all of you and that I don't ever disappoint. If I could give all of you a cookie, I totally would.

In this chapter: honorifics

This might just be more of a filler chapter with some kind of cute things going on. The next chapter will be another benefit and such, then after that we will probably be getting down to business, if you know what I mean. Hope you guys enjoy this one too though, hope to hear from you soon! Super sorry for not updating faster!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters or the title of this fic. No money is ever made from this.

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If I Fell

Chapter 8

If Hinata had ever found school to be troublesome before, that morning it was hell on earth as far as she was concerned.

Her black pumps had clicked against the pavement as the wool of the trendy skirt she had donned scratched her knees in an irritating way that made her want to just abandon clothing altogether. Her books were clutched against her firm chest against the shirt as she began to cross the neat campus of her school.

That was, until she was stopped by more people than were in her classes. In fact, they seemed to swarm around her, like bees to a hive, a very excited and gossipy hive. Hinata remembered this was how she went through high school, surrounded by a group of people but still all alone. She couldn't keep up with any one of her thoughts on how to get to Neji so that he would drive them away.

Their voices were likened and registered to the angry buzzing of insects as they pounded her with questions and pictures from the newspaper. It was then that it hit her just how famous Itachi really was. Apparently everyone had been keeping up with him, whether they knew that she worked for him or not. She was just a fad, an afterthought, a trend.

"Hinata-chan!" the voices called out, as if they actually knew her, the quiet and shy girl who was merely playing pretend with her boss. Actually, he was playing pretend and she was hoping it was all real. But hope to Hinata, was as empty as a new red clay flowerpot, in the end it had a small hole at the bottom that unpacked mass passed through.

"P-please, I-I need to g-get to c-class," she stuttered, being unable to push them away and possessing enough manners not to be come off as harsh.

"Is this you?" they begged of her as the back of her head in black and white form was pressed to her perfect nose.

"I-I-"

"Hinata-chan will not be answering your questions a voice told them sternly as an arm wound its way around her shoulders. Neji was her savior as she looked up at his pale and hard lined jaw as he pushed through the mob. A lot of people at the school were afraid of him and so the crowd was parted as easily as the Red Sea.

"T-thank you," she told him quietly, her cheeks flushed with sanguine color that she could no longer control as the background noise of the other students faded with the closing of the heavy doors. Her thoughts were still scrambled though and probably would be through her first class. In all honesty, Hinata just wanted to go back to the apartment, just to avoid the constant strain of people trying to get close to her. She wasn't even confirmed or named and already people were beginning to figure things out.

How much longer would it be before she would have to fess up to everyone? No, she would have to stop thinking in those terms. There was still a chance that Itachi wouldn't have to know that she lied to him and probably more. After he got the share, he was just going to let the relationship fad off. Maybe she could take some time off, maybe Hinata could quit, like Neji had suggested more than numerous times. Maybe quitting would be the best solution for all of them.

She had a gut feeling that something was going to happen. She couldn't be one hundred percent sure, as Neji escorted her down the halls of the school, that it wasn't a bad gut feeling. It was just a feeling after all, sometimes those meant absolutely nothing.

"I couldn't have you getting injured," Neji told her as they waited outside of their classroom. She could tell that he wanted to say much more than just that one sentence. She could see it tugging at the corners of his pursed mouth.

"Whatever it is Neji-kun, please ask," she sighed as she leaned against the wall. She wished that she could have slid down it as she normally did when something was eating her alive, but her clothing prevented her. There was no way that she had been able to avoid people snapping pictures of her this morning while she was walking, or that she would be able to stop the rumors that were going to fly.

"Well…" He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know that was you in the paper today."

"Oh," she mouthed. She was preparing for one of his rants. She lowered her pale lavender eyes to the blank white of the tiles beneath her black covered feet.

"I do not like what you are doing of course, I know you know this, but I will protect you as much as I can. I thought you were about to be trampled this morning in that crowd," he smirked.

"Arigato Neji-kun," she smiled as she suddenly grasped him in a tight hug, dropping all of her things to the floor. She knew that Neji really didn't appreciate public displays of affection but this was an exception, because he was going to put up with it just a little longer, even though they knew it was wrong.

"Alright now let go before anyone begins to stare," he teased. If worst came to worst, she could always go back to staying with Neji. She knew he wouldn't mind, though it would probably only be for company since her cousin was meticulous about his apartment and the things therein. He taught her some of what made her a valuable housekeeper for Itachi.

She always felt like more of a servant than she did a family member in her own home. Neji satisfied the need for an heir better than her any day of the year. He really should have been able to have a say in the family plan, but since he was from the other branch, it wasn't possible and probably never would be, even if they were to marry for strictly business purposes.

Hinata really hated the thought of incest with Neji, so she tried to find other things to allow her mind to consume itself on, like Itachi's physical urges from the night before. No, it wasn't just Itachi's but her own coming out of the closet. She had made attempt to stop him either, she realized as she tried to take notes, her pen idly moving across the paper as the professor's lips moved as she recalled in great detail everything that had occurred.

She knew it was probably wrong, but the lines between right and wrong were becoming more blurred as this project progressed. He had apologized to _her, _after all. She had done nothing to merit except let him continue. But would she have been able to stop him if she had wanted to?

Hinata figured probably not. She wasn't very good with conflict after all, standing up to her family taking years of abuse to back her. Hanabi often remarked that Hinata was amazing because she was born without a spine.

"That's right sister-sama," she teased. "People should pay to see you." Hinata knew that she only added the 'sama' part to mock her. Hanabi did not respect Hinata one bit.

"Why?" the mousy girl asked as she tried in vain to wipe all the makeup away from another night of being paraded around endless circles of her father's friends and business partners.

"Because you are the first human to function without a spine," she laughed as she stuck her tongue out at Hinata and sauntered out of the room.

A loud crash resounded through her mind and she shook herself free of bitter memories as she averted her eyes to the front of the room, only to discover that the professor was not there. Carefully, she looked to her side to find her hovering over her with a concerned stare.

"Hm?"

"Hyuuga-san, the class is over. I know that fame at your age may seem like a respectable trade but it has no place in the classroom," the professor lectured. Hinata felt as if she were moving backwards in age instead of forward, looking like she was in grade school again.

"Yes, I see sensei," she nodded as she meekly gathered her things. It had been her things that had crashed to the floor when she had gotten up to leave. How long had she been functioning like that, not paying any attention? She would have to work on that or think of Itachi less.

Maybe quitting after this would be best. It would make sense, as Itachi was probably going to dump her anyway. Of course he was going to dump her, she reprimanded herself quickly. She had allowed herself a tiny sliver of hope that Itachi might actually fall in love with her.

He barely paid attention to her after all and she had worked for him two years now and he had never taken an interest before now. He probably knew next to nothing about her, since he always seemed to be missing on some extravagant business trip or at fancy gatherings with the world's most beautiful women on his arm.

But she had carried that hope since she had met him that he would eventually learn to love her instead of pushing her to the side or just regarding her as another employee. Now he was paying her attention, but was it for the right reasons deep down? Just how much could she trust him? He was willing to lie to his family for personal gain after all.

Her thoughts were off the walls now, completely out of control and extremely unlike her usual pattern of operation. Hinata struggled for control with her mind. She was just blowing everything out of context and proportion because she was insecure wasn't she?

"Hinata-chan, would you like me to walk home with you?" Neji asked as he waited outside of the classroom, propped against the wall. Had she really just let her mind wander that much through her classes? How much was this going to interfere with her education? She had worked so hard on it, blowing it now would be a terrible waste.

"Yes Neji-kun, so I don't do anything silly," she told him, the stutter once again gone now that she had calmed down from the morning activities. She was rather glad that she had paid little or no attention in classes, so that way she could avoid the unwanted spotlight placed on her by her peers. She had overlooked Itachi's popularity standing when she had agreed, and now she was paying for it more or less.

"Agreed," he said as he took her books from her without protest. Usually Ten Ten walked with them, at least to the end of the block, but Hinata could see her nowhere around. In fact, it seemed that she had been spending less time with them lately.

"Where is Ten Ten?" she asked. Neji did not answer for a little while as he glared at the different classmates and peers that seemed ready to pounce on her, given the first unprotected chance. It wasn't even confirmed, she had been dressed up! Was it really that obvious? She only had about another week to try to keep up the charade.

"We are having difficulties," Neji answered. "So we're taking a break." To anyone else listening, it would have sounded like a calm answer, but to Hinata, she knew that Neji was seriously dealing with his emotions. She never would have thought that the relationship could end, but then again the universe was being tossed into the air for her as she found herself growing closer to Itachi.

"I'm sorry," she told him as they turned the block, finally away from all the hungry students. She found herself thinking of them in terms of zombies, gossip zombies. She never wanted anything negative to happen between them, but the thought crossed her mind that she was to blame.

"It's not your fault Hinata-chan," he told her fiercely, which expressed to her that it probably was. Ten Ten had probably grown upset with Neji for going along with Hinata's most recent job. Neji grabbed her shoulder, turning her to look at him. "Don't think for one second that it is." He was gripping her shoulder hard enough to possibly break it.

"Alright Neji," she told him, dropping any honorific in hopes he would abandon using her as a stress relief. The shoulder was beginning to throb.

"So sorry," he whispered as he released her, brushing some of his soft chocolate colored hair from his pale face.

"How about since Itachi is out of town tonight, I come and stay with you, like old times," she smiled, hoping to put him in a better mood. He could probably use some time off. Itachi usually didn't mind if she went and spent the night every now and again. He was more lenient than other bosses.

"I would like that," he nodded.

X

Itachi tapped his pen on the bright yellow and blue lines of the legal pad before him. Words were no longer registering, but rather bouncing off the shell of his ear and continuing along to someone who actually cared. He had sat through probably hundreds of these meetings in his lifetime. Kisame could fill him in later.

His mind had wandered elsewhere to flashes of a cold Hinata in his arms, squirming around on his warm lap as he further the ministrations he had started the night before. The thoughts came as freely as they liked and he had stopped trying to interfere. It consumed valuable energy.

Her skin was softer than silk against his calloused fingers as he allowed his fingers to glide over the milky color firmness. The stunning dress that she had chosen felt rough in comparison, though it was a lovely shade on her frame.

He was experienced with women, having a complete knowledge of what they liked and what they hated, so he knew just where to touch to have her melt in his arms. Most women he manipulated as such made vulgar and obscene responses, but Hinata had not. Her lips and the graceful hollow of her neck were beautiful in the faint light of the passing buildings. It had appeared so attractively natural.

He shifted in the plush seat of the black office chair he was occupying. Just recalling the details of the evening made everything flush and he grew uncomfortable sitting at the long polished maple table while networks of the company wasted his time. He actually wanted to be at home for once, just to watch Hinata as she moved around his apartment.

He found himself dying to know just what she thought of his uncontrolled and unbridled behavior of the night before. He had left so suddenly that he was sure her head was probably reeling from the confusion he had incited. Why was he so interested though?

There he was, thinking outside of the employee square again, thinking of Hinata in terms of a lover. But the memory was so vibrant and recent that it consumed his thoughts no matter how hard he tried to force it away.

"Itachi-san," Kisame prompted his eyes hard.

"Hm?" Itachi wasn't even going to hide the fact that he had not been listening. As powerful as he was, he felt that he should be allowed some time to zone out if he wished. Everyone else did.

"Your input?" Itachi glared a few seconds before he answered quite ambiguously. He wasn't even sure what the point of his being at the meeting, but he was even more confused by his desire to return to his apartment. He was considering possibly returning home a day early as well, something he never considered before.

X

Hinata heard the click of the door lock as she dried the one plate she had used for a quick lunch. She experienced a flash of panic that someone was breaking and entering among a thousand other things before she realized it might be Itachi. Carefully she placed the delicate floral china on the drying rack before she padded out to the hallway.

"Itachi-sama?" she asked as she watched him kick off the expensive black leather loafers he had donned for his trip. She couldn't help but notice how well the black suit he was wearing that day looked on him. He loosened the black tie as he looked up at her.

"Hinata-san," he nodded. She was biting her lip as she watched him, wondering what he was doing home a night early. He couldn't deny how vulnerable and enticing she looked. She was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a white tank top, despite the weather outside. His apartment was warm.

"Is something wrong?" she questioned as she touched her index fingers together. She hoped he would just ignore it.

"No, the meeting was redundant," he lied. Maybe it wasn't a lie, but half the truth anyway.

"Oh, I see Itachi-sama. I will bring your tea to your office then," she nodded as she turned away from him. Instead of stopping her, he followed Hinata to the kitchen. He was tired of office settings and stiff work places. His kitchen sounded like a good place to take a break. He realized that the next two nights would be another benefit and then the end following week would be a trip to his parents' home.

"Hinata-san," Itachi said, gaining her interest immediately. She jumped, as she had not realized that he had followed her to the kitchen instead of disappearing to his lonely office.

"Hm?" She pursed her lips together as she turned around to face him, wondering what he could possibly have in store for her now.

"Next week is a trip to my parents. Part of the condition was that the family was supposed to come together for a gathering before my father decided anything," Itachi explained as he took a seat at the table. "We will be leaving by Thursday morning. Will this be a problem for school?" Hinata was a little taken back. Itachi was showing concern for her school life?

"No, it should be just fine," she nodded quietly as she moved around the kitchen, starting to prepare the boiling water, just as he preferred. Was her boss feeling well? She glanced over her shoulder to see that he was fiddling with the ends of his dark hair, the chocolate color contrasting well with his slim and delicate fingers, fingers that had been on her earlier in the week.

"Great then," he nodded. He was playing with the strands of his hair to keep his eyes off of her and to keep his thoughts in check. There was nothing here to stop him from taking her against the sink and planting lavish kisses down the curve of her neck to her developed breasts where her chest would rise and fall quickly from his ministrations as her breath came in hot gasps.

He felt himself twitch to life under the cover of the table with Hinata completely unaware as she leaned down to peer at something in one of the bottom cabinets. The curve of her hips and bottom were delicious and he found himself licking his lips. He had to grip the table to keep control until she stood back up, aware that she was being monitored.

She turned around, those pale lavender eyes turning to regard him with a polite smile before she asked "Something wrong Itachi-sama?"

"No, nothing at all," he shook his head. Trying to keep his mind off of the endless lustful thoughts and fantasies he was experiencing, he found himself asking how her days at school had gone.

"Oh, very well Itachi-sama," she answered, wondering what was causing his change in behavior. She did not contemplate for even a second that it might be her.

"What kinds of things do you do there?" Why was he still talking? He didn't think he was genuinely curious but his mouth seemed to think so for it continued to rebel against his brain.

"Well…" She observed him for a few seconds, wondering if she should tell him. "I study painting a couple times a week…um…" She chewed on her fingernail as she tried to keep her mind from drawing a blank and tried to not stutter so badly. "I also study theory and different concepts and history."

"Interesting," Itachi nodded, waiting for her to continue. She stood there staring at him incredulously, as if she had changed realities. "What do you want to do with all of this?" he prompted. It wouldn't hurt to actually know anything about her in advance for his parents who would want to know everything.

"I want to paint for a living, maybe children's books, or start my own gallery," she smiled, knowing that Neji could help her manage it as well.

"I see." She had her back turned to him, pouring the tea into his plain white cups. He couldn't force the slight smile off his lips. It seemed the girl had a plan after all, a rather vague one, but he figured that was more of an artist thing. It was so free compared to the rigid one he had lived his life by. He had of course seen her paintings before she took them to school with her, often lying around his living room in the mornings.

They were actually quite good, not that he was an expert, but they were better than a lot of the ones he had seen. He had allowed her to hang a few of them up in different parts of the apartment, he said for decoration, but secretly he liked to pass them in the morning on his way to work or to a meeting.

"Here Itachi-sama," she told him as she set the tray down. One cup of his favorite tea, served only as he would take it, steam coming off the top of the porcelain cup, greeting him.

"Thank you," he nodded, as he picked up the cup in his hands, holding it as if it were an egg instead. No one had been able to prepare it for him, just as he had asked.

"If that is all you require of me, I have some homework to finish for tomorrow."

"Yes, feel free." She bowed and disappeared from the room. Already it felt empty somehow, without her silent presence there. What was Itachi getting himself into? He had never paid attention before now.

Hinata's heart beat against her breastplate so fast that she was sure it would crack after a number of times. It was so unlike her cold boss to take any interest, no matter how big, in her personal matters. But it was kind of nice, for him to ask, even if it might be a ploy.

She headed for the couch, needing to sit down before the weight of her own emotions crushed her. Concentrating on her homework took more willpower than usual as her mind was consumed with Itachi, as she sketched him a few times in the outline of her papers. That wasn't usual for her, but it was usually just on her notes, not something she was actually going to turn in for a grade.

She tried to erase it and make her mind obey the many questions and answers that were required. She could hear when her boss moved to another room, his feet padding across the wooden floor as he walked down the hall. Hinata tried to tell herself that he was just background noise and that she had work to do.

It wasn't working as well as she had hoped, so instead she turned on the TV, in hopes it would drown him out. But there was nothing to drown out, he was as quiet as usual, just her thoughts were loud. She placed her forehead to her knees as she tried to convince herself to get a grip.

X

Around twelve o' clock, as Itachi stretched and finally looked away from a stack of paperwork, he realized that the lights of the apartment were still running. That was unusual for his employee, so he padded out to find out what was going on.

The lights all the way down the hall and to the living room were casting yellow to orange glows on the drab walls as he followed the sound of some talking head on a late night television program out to the living room.

He could see papers spread in all directions, some blank and some with Hinata's neat characters on them, stuffed in notebooks, or just on the floor, but he could not see her. His mind panicked for a second that maybe something had happened to her, before he brushed it off as irrational and walked around the edge of the sofa.

Dark hair was spilled all across the armrest and cushions, in contrast with the dark beige upholstery he had picked out himself years ago, all leading up to Hinata curled up with a paper and a pencil. It looked like some type of war, instead of a homework session.

His employee was asleep, the slow rise and fall of her chest and her flickering eyelids all giving her a peaceful air. He wasn't sure he had ever seen her asleep before and especially not while she was in the middle of homework. He pressed a cool hand to her forehead, to see if maybe she was catching a cold after all, but it felt temperate.

He couldn't ignore how soft the skin there was either as he brushed a few strands of dark bangs out of the way. She didn't stir in the least. He took the paper and pencil from her hand, laying them on the table as he started to pick up the papers. It was easy enough to tell which belong to what category.

Something lying on top of her leg caught his attention before he finished though. It was a scratchy pencil drawing on blue and white lined paper of someone familiar. He held the paper in his hands, just studying for a few moments. The drawing was obviously from memory, but that made no difference as the quality was about the same as if she had sat and studied him.

He looked from the picture she had sketched on him to the sleeping figure on the couch. She was extremely talented if she had impressed him that much. No wonder she was sleeping through homework.

Itachi did something he almost never did and certainly not while people were around, he smiled. It seemed he had made a good choice after all. His parents would honestly be impressed as well. For once his mind was not reeling with the possibilities of money or personal gain, but instead with thoughts for a silent employee.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, Itachi picked her lithe and motionless sleeping body in his arms, heading toward her room. She couldn't be comfortable on the couch and they both had a busy day ahead of them. Her door was already open and so he left her on her bed, pulling a blanket over her and shutting the door behind him.

Just one night he could turn everything off himself before going to bed as well. But the girl sleeping just paces away from him didn't leave him alone even in sleep.

X

**Author's End Note: **So, totally waiting around to hear your thoughts on this.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **I don't think all the apologies in the world could make it up to you guys for being so patient with me and waiting for this next installment. As I said last chapter, this is well sort of but not really another filler before everything begins to take off with the couple. You will probably all hate me for the way I'm going to end this chapter, but I will hopefully be able to write a little more in the coming weeks if I get all of my papers done for school. In fact, I hope you guys like this chapter, has some lime and such in it. Really, sorry this wasn't updated and all and for what I'm about to do.

About this chapter: some lemon

just honorifics

cliffhanger, totally sorry about that one, but the next chapter is something that needs to be alone.

Really, I appreciate all of the reviews, favs, and alerts you guys have put this one, it's even in one c2 comm. I am completely honored that you guys love this story so much and look forward to the updates as I have felt like a complete jerk not being able to work on it at all for you guys with school and responding with hopefully before Christmas. I should have said before Halloween. So, hope everyone enjoys the chapter and can't wait to hear from you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. I do not own the title of the fic.

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 9

Hinata stretched out a hand toward her drab wall, watching the lights illuminate the flesh a few seconds before she realized that she was in her own bed. That was reason enough to panic, as she shot straight up with a small cry, her hair falling in curtains down her back. When had she made it back to her bed from the couch?

She forgot to check her clock as she half ran and half stumbled from the room. She was in such a rush that she failed to look ahead of her and crashed into a solid body not so far from the door. Hinata was sent tumbling to the floor, landing on her rear end.

"Ah! Itachi-sama!" she gasped as she realized that he was sitting a few feet away from her in his favorite black suit with the blood red shirt. He didn't look as surprised or as ruffled as she probably did. Hinata began to blush once she caught a better hold on herself, realizing that she was breaking a few rules by appearing outside of her room in her pajamas.

She must have knocked him over in her hurry to leave her room. Hinata bowed down, sitting on her knees as she began to apologize profusely. Never, in her two years of service, had she ever knocked him to the floor. She was so embarrassed that she couldn't bear to look at him, instead keeping her face pressed to the floor, uttering stuttering words of apology.

"It is okay," Itachi told her. He was unharmed after all. He figured that Hinata would wake early as he used to when his mother or father would move him from the living room to his own room. "I am unharmed after all." He stood up, brushing himself off before he made his way over to her, touching the top of her soft head to make her look at him as he knelt down.

"I'm-"She paused, wondering if she had indeed heard what she thought he had said. She kept her head down just to be sure as it was early morning and she was human after all. His long and slender fingers hooked on her chin as he lifted her face to look at him.

"It is okay Hinata," he found himself telling her again, stroking her face absently. He allowed his lips to pull into a half smile as he took her hand to pull her to her feet. Hinata's heart was beating so fast that she wondered if she might have a heart attack.

Her lavender eyes grew wide as she slowly realized that he had uttered her name with no honorific. She gazed up at him, wondering seriously if she wasn't just dreaming after all. The developing bruise on her backside told her that she wasn't.

"Itachi-sama?" she asked. He gave her a confused stare as he tried to figure out exactly what he had done now. He retraced his steps until he found that he had forgotten to even put –san on her name. No wonder she was staring up at him. How was he going to handle this now?

"You have class to ready for don't you?" he asked, trying to deter her early morning confused nature. He figured that if he gave her something else to have concern with that she would allow it to slip, since he didn't have a reason and didn't feel like providing one.

"Yes, I do or I'll be late," she realized, shaking herself from her temporary fog as she moved from the floor with some aid from Itachi's extended hand. She wasn't even sure what time it was, but it gave her a needed escape from the awkwardness of the situation. She brushed herself off and headed for the bathroom right across the hall.

Itachi found his eyes drawn after her right up until she shut the door firmly. What was with him these days? Hinata had been in his house for two years and he had spent that time chasing other options, be them physical or otherwise. Was it really just the makeover that he liked or did his need travel further to some quality she possessed.

She was like nothing else in his life, save his mother, but not in the same fashion. He wasn't attracted to her in some sick material passion, but in another. Unlike all of the other loose girls he had brought home since she had started working for him, she knew when to keep her mouth shut, seeming to understand the intensity of secrets.

Kisame had been right, that she would be perfect. Too perfect and too right as now he was actually falling for her somehow. He had admitted it to himself finally. She was starting to crack him open, like one of the safes at work, just she wasn't even aware of it. It was the little things she did for him. Many instances of her service came to mind, but the drawing he had found the nigh earlier surfaced almost every other one.

He could hear the shower starting as steam began to appear under the door. He had to get to work and couldn't dwell so much or he would be late. Plus, it would appear uncharacteristic were he found outside of the shower waiting for her, in the spot that she had left him in.

Hinata allowed the warm water to recede through her thick black locks with her fingers guiding its motions. She hoped the liquid would wash away the strange sense of self she was having but not the memory of Itachi's gentle fingertips on her chin. His expression had actually allowed her to see the concern for her well being, something almost foreign she was sure for him.

She could feel things changing between them already. Thus far actions had been taken already that set her ahead of her previous relationships and lack thereof as well. There was no way that they could undo them after all. At least she would be clean for the benefit or party or whatever it was for tonight.

She could hardly remember, even though it was just a few days or even if Itachi had told her. All she knew really was that it would give her a chance to see Konan again with Pein. She felt that she could connect with the pale woman more than any of the other people she had been introduced to through the fame.

A slow smile also spread across her face at the guilty pleasure of possibly being touched again by Itachi in the back of the car. But she wasn't going to hold out hope for that to happen. That was probably a one-time only affair.

"Then I need a break," she told herself. "From this job." Nothing would probably ever happen between her boss and herself as far as a real and honest relationship went. She bit her lip as she shut the water off and prepared to towel dry, that maybe she should just tell him the truth. But then there was the possibility that telling him could ruin everything.

"Just a week more," she told herself. The week after this one would be when she finally got to meet his family. She had done her own research on them a while back when she began to work for them, and of course just knew things from hanging around with Kisame's large mouth.

X

"Hinata-san, tell me something about yourself," Itachi asked as she brought him his usual after work hot green tea. She had carefully set the bone china on the table, despite nearly dropping it at his request.

"Something?" she almost stuttered.

"Yes, about yourself, like a favorite color," he asked, not looking up from the legal document he was currently skimming. He knew probably how she looked, biting her lip and wringing her hands as she tried to serve the tea in a timely manner.

"Oh, well…" She liked a lot of colors, most of them being ones that looked best on Itachi. "Red," she finally told him as she set the white cup on the desk within grasp.

"Interesting," he spoke as he gazed up at her.

X

"You two could make it," Pein smiled as he personally greeted them once they had struggled past all of the photographers and press with no comment as usual. He bowed respectably to them, despite his rebellious appearance.

"Of course Pein-kun, we wouldn't miss this," Itachi told him as he squeezed Hinata's delicate hand in his. He knew the press would probably have a field day with the manner they had dressed for the evening.

Hinata had donned a backless red satin number, falling to just below her knees, hugging her gracious hips like a glove, curving her chest in a desirable manner. The color was similar to one of Itachi's favorite shirts he had picked and teamed with a black suit. The wrap she had insisted on hid the pale skin from everyone's view, since she felt deeply uncomfortable with the way it would print and who might possibly see it.

Itachi made an attendant take it from her once they were safely inside, though she tried to grasp it and hold it the rest of the night like a blanket. The action was endearing and Itachi wanted to laugh at how insignificant it would appear to anyone else.

She was beautiful and she should have been more comfortable in her own body. To reassure her, he placed a hand on her back, noting how cold but soft the skin was even tonight. As close as he was standing to her, he caught the faintest trace of her body wash before they began to follow Pein into the gathering.

There were even more people than had been at Zetsu's, which went to show that Pein had more connections than anyone else, probably even Itachi. They were wearing all type of clothing instead of just the expected. Hinata could see several people that looked close to Pein with all of the body modifications, holding Itachi a little tighter, since they didn't appear as friendly.

"Glad you could be here Hinata-chan," Konan smiled as she greeted them. This wasn't quite as stiff and uptight as Zetsu's benefit had been and she felt a little more comfortable just for that fact. "Would you like to accompany me to get something to drink?" She looked toward Itachi for approval.

"She would love to," Itachi smiled as he released her to Konan's waiting arm. The woman took her with a gentle smile as they began to walk away, Itachi watching their backs.

"I am really glad that you and Itachi-san could make it tonight," Konan explained. "I haven't had anyone to talk to tonight."

"Well I am happy to see you as well," Hinata smiled. She was honestly relieved at least one person somewhat understood her. Itachi found it almost impossible to stop watching Hinata's back, even as she wandered away with Konan. Pein had been speaking to him, but he hadn't heard a word of it.

"Are you alright?" Pein asked as he lightly punched his arm, trying to knock him out of his stupor.

"Hm? I'm fine," Itachi nodded as he followed him to the lounge that the small group was headed for. This was the first event that he wasn't trying to dump some woman off on someone else, but was actually waiting for one to come back.

"Your fiancée, she's attractive, even I'll admit," Pein smiled. The girls were out of sight by now. "Good choice, though unusual for you."

"Yeah, I know." They sat down with enough space between them for when the girls returned. Konan was taking her time with Hinata, trying to find a waiter.

"I'm really glad that you're engaged to Itachi-san. He always looks so sad when he is around us," Konan confessed. Hinata could feel her stomach twist into knots at the truth. She was just deceiving this beautiful woman.

"Oh?"

"He hasn't acted this happy in a while, in fact, he hasn't smiled except for maybe five times since I've met him. You're really good with him."

"Thank you." She squeezed the older woman's hand in response. She couldn't believe how much they were both deceiving them. She guessed Itachi was fairly accustomed to it though and she was working her way toward it. It was an awful way to live.

And the night continued with everyone pretending to be something they were not.

Hinata spent most of the night seated beside Itachi, on his arm, with Konan speaking sweetly to her as the men spoke amongst themselves. If benefits and social gatherings were more in the order of this one, then Hinata thought she might like to get back in. But this was a special occasion and Pein was a different sort of businessman.

The benefit the following night would be more of the usual, uptight, and lavish beyond the normal boundaries where everyone was a mask of them true selves. It made her breath catch in her throat and sweat begin to bead up under her flawless makeup.

"Something wrong Hinata-chan?" Itachi asked as he glanced down past his fluted glass of champagne to find that his house keeper looked as if she might be sick. The worry on his lips sounded so natural that for a few moments he forgot they were merely pretending.

"No," she answered, shaking her head. She hoped that Itachi would not see through her faint charade and make them leave. It was such a lovely evening after all…

"Hm, you know, maybe I should take her outside for some fresh air," Itachi suggested as he made ready to grab her hand.

"No, that's unnecessary," she waved off. She had hardly touched the glass of thin alcohol. It was just her over thinking things far too long she guessed. She gave his hand a light squeeze, as if they were actually communicating as lovers.

"Are you certain Hinata-chan?" he asked.

"Mhm." She pursed her lips before trying to smile. There was no need to stop the show just because she was feeling slightly confused and out of place. Her opinion hardly mattered at all. Just another week and a few days and all of this would be over with. But did she really want it to end?

"Pein-kun, if you will excuse us, I think I will take her outside anyway." Itachi gripped her hand, setting his glass down and lifting her easily. She could hear the small secluded group answer with "okay" and similar phrases. She knew they were probably thinking perverted thoughts about what was actually going to happen.

She kept her head bowed down as they weaved through the crowds, trying to appear busy enough not to call attention to themselves and be stopped by the endless throngs that knew who they were now. She waited against one of the soft-hued marble pillars as Itachi called for their belongings. They were probably not coming back for the night.

He held the wrap around her shoulders as they headed out the back way once again, to avoid the flashbulbs on the exquisite front lawn. The night air was just as chilly as before and Hinata was thankful for the strong arms around her as they brusquely headed for Akira and his open door.

She slid in across the expensive leather seats ahead of him, unsure of if she should apologize because it was her fault they were leaving early or if something else had caused the change. The car began to move after Itachi slammed the door. She waited with bated breath as to what she should do.

"I'm sorry," she told him, the words tumbling out in a rush.

"What are you sorry for? I was the one that suggested we leave," he told her. She was avoiding his intense gaze, her cheeks faintly coloring with blush even through the makeup.

"I'm not sure Itachi-sama," she whispered.

"I was ready to leave anyway," he explained, his voice as equally soft as hers. "We both have an exciting day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Oh yeah." It would have only been Friday. The following week she would be meeting his parents. "You don't have to-"

"Worry about you?" he finished. She turned back from the window to look at him. What was with Itachi these days? Was it her fault? Was he being sincere?

"Yeah." Gently, he extended a hand toward her, the calluses on his fingers stroking the silky skin on her face as he encouraged her toward him. She followed, without hesitation until she was nearly in his lap again. Her soft lilac covered eyes focused on his deep coffee colored orbs, like a moth to a flame.

"Hinata, you are helping me when you could have refused," he told her as he gently caressed the supple skin. "You actually care about me," he whispered. He had abandoned the honorific altogether.

"It is my jo-"Her eyes remained wide-open even as his lips closed over hers, holding them together as his body slowly pressed into hers. It was a slow and sure kiss, like the time in the car before. It seemed that Itachi could not keep his hands off of her.

She melded into him as his tongue danced against her lips, not enough time to make any whimpering noises or of protest. Hinata wouldn't have protested if her life had depended upon it. Itachi knew too much to make her feel like a real woman.

Itachi couldn't stop his most basic urges from consuming him once again when in an enclosed space with her. While getting her alone in the back of his car wasn't his original intent for removing them from the party, it was the direction the situation was heading in. He was actually concerned for her, and not just because she was helping him with a business deal.

In fact, when he looked at the circumstances he had pushed them into, money and deals were the furthest thing from his mind. He could care less about what Kisame wanted him to sign than he could what her saliva tasted.

All that mattered was how he was going to make her feel. He began to push her into the soft, slick leather of the backseat as he took her hands into his, gently squeezing and holding her wrists as while she let him.

She didn't struggle, but she didn't want to. Being pinned beneath Itachi while he ministered attention that she had been craving from him for two years was perfectly acceptable to the most basic urges of her mind. Her status in his house disappeared once his thumbs began to rub delicate circles into her palms.

He couldn't help but grunt as she unsurely tried to kiss him back while he tried to teach her. It was cute, her attempts; different from what he was used to. Girls before her had been too experienced, but she was a novice. That pure and innocent taste was what he had been craving, that genuine adoration for him; he needed it.

He needed more of it. He craved more of her. He began to reach up to grope her through the thin material of the dress, his hands sliding down the smooth of her bare arms to the silk mounds. His active tongue massaged hers before he placed a chaste kiss on her lips as he began to kiss down her jaw and neck.

The familiar scent of jasmine was heavy in his nose as he caressed her neck with his lips, pushing her hair back and over her shoulders. She was held tightly against him. He took her non pierced earlobe between his teeth as his large hands cupped her breasts, awakening the nipples just under his fingertips.

He was kneeling on the floorboards just between her legs as the car headed home. She could see the fireworks behind her eyes again with every new and unfamiliar sensation such as his long locks brushing against her only slightly exposed skin-

"Hinata-san?" a voice cut through the fog she was placing herself.

"Mmm?" She opened her lavender orbs and found midnight chocolate staring back in a completely concerned manner.

"You fell asleep on the ride from the benefit," he told her, lifting her chin. Her whole body felt flushed, as she realized with shame that she had merely dreamed the whole scenario while leaning against Itachi. But it had felt so real, as if it had actually occurred again.

"Oh, really?" she asked, fighting to not rub her eyes. She had been sure all of that had happened. She was feeling really stressed if she was making things up now wasn't she?

"Yes, right after we got in the car you were asleep. You're working yourself too thin," Itachi spoke calmly as he extended a hand to help her out of the car. She gathered the ends of her dress and listened as her heels clicked against the sidewalk. Of course he had to be concerned for her thanks to the investment.

Itachi was worried about Hinata, more than she knew. She had just gone to sleep so suddenly from working and school and the party. He knew that feeling, from staying too many hours in the office and then keeping a respectable social life. She needed rest.

"I am so sorry Itachi-sama," the girl apologized keeping her head down as he kept a steady hand on her back while they headed into the apartment.

"Nothing to be sorry for Hinata-san," he told her. She had done nothing wrong. He was the one inflicting the wrong by demanding so much from her. "I am at fault. Tomorrow night, we will not be attending the party."

"Oh no, you don't have to do that on my behalf!" she cried, once they were safely inside where no one could see them.

"Hinata-san, as your employer, I am commanding that we take a night off," he told her, holding her arms and forcing her to look into his eyes. He smirked somewhat, to let her know that it was all in good taste.

"Thank you Itachi-sama," she bowed.

"Think nothing of it," he told her as they shared goodnights and separated for bed. She could not believe that she had dreamed something so dirty with him sitting so close to her. But she also still clearly remembered what had occurred before when they had shared a car.

Itachi had been glad for the warmth of her body pressed against his, even if she was only sleeping. He figured that he would probably check on her during the night to make sure that she was actually okay, as she had rather passed out.

X

His soft, white sock covered feet padded down the hall for Hinata's room, just barely cracking the door a sliver so the light would drape across the bed and upon the figure. Her chest was moving evenly as her hair was spilled around her in dark pools.

She looked rather small compared to the bed she was curled up into. Itachi smiled as he opened the door just a little more and headed for her, touching her head to be sure that she wasn't running a fever. Her pale forehead was cool. She was fine after all, just worn out.

He leaned down, placing a small chaste kiss on her head, jasmine heavy in his nose from her soap and her locks soft. If only she knew, what she was bringing out in him. If he continued like this, then by the time the appointment with his family rolled around, they might not be pretending at all.

Hinata shifted toward him, still sleep, mumbling "idiot" something before Itachi felt that he should leave her to her peaceful slumber and try to get some shuteye himself again. All he had done was lay on top of the covers once more, thoughts of the house keeper drifting through at random.

X

"Would you like some help with dinner?" Itachi asked as he strode into the kitchen. He couldn't help but glance at the clock to notice that it was around the time that the benefit should be starting. He was hardly dressed for one and neither was Hinata for that matter.

She was wearing an above the knee black skirt with the white tank top. But to Itachi, it didn't matter, since she looked beautiful no matter what. He had donned a blue t-shirt and black windbreakers to conduct paperwork in.

"No, that's fine Itachi-sama," she told him, only slightly turning around, trying to hide her surprise. He never volunteered himself so much in a week. "Do you want anything in particular?" She had been trying to decide what would be a good meal for the last ten minutes, being late on starting.

After lying awake the whole night, thinking of making Hinata actually his, tasting that innocence to its fullest, the offer was extremely tempting. In fact, before Itachi could actually get a firm grip on his primal needs, he was pressing Hinata into the counter from behind, pinning her there with his body as his hands moved her thick hair from her ear and neck to whisper: "Yeah, you."

X

**Author's End Note: **Well, how do you think she is going to respond?


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Well, I am finally back with another chapter for this fic. I am just stunned by all the attention this is receiving and I am glad you all seem to be enjoying it so much. I am truly honored by all your words, alerts, and favs on this. Even the add to the comm too. Really, I just don't even know what to say or how to express myself. I do apologize though, for letting it go so long without an update and I hope you guys understand. Finals are coming up at school and I have had crazy work to do to get ready for them and such, projects, etc.

Plus, I was really scared how to write this next part. I wanted it to be passionate, but wanted to try and make it not so crazy descriptive and kind of blurred to let you guys fill it in and make of it what you will. So I just had to bite my lip and pen this. Hope you guys enjoy it, I've read through it and this is really how I see it happening. This chapter has an M rating, and if you don't like lemons, this may not be the update for you then, unless you want the last part at the end. The next part will get back to actual plot line and closer to unfolding.

Really, hope you guys enjoy this, please don't torch me for taking so long, etc. I'm supposed to be washing my hair dye out right now, pink over natural brown and I'm so curious to see how it turns out. So remember, constructive criticism, not destructive. Next update is back to actual plot line. This chapter rated M for lemons. Meaning, the word of the day is brought to you by the the letter M, for lemon ;]

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or characters, etc. No money is made from this. The title of the fic is brought to you by the Beatles.

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If I Fell

Chapter 10

Hinata swore that her very own fleshy ears had deceived her, that Itachi had not in fact asked her instead of a delicious dinner that she was unprepared to cook for him. This was, in fact, what she had been dreaming about probably since she had taken the intimidating job of Uchiha Itachi's housekeeper; a job not everyone would have pushed on their plate.

But it was all incredibly real; his hard body pressing her softer one into the polished kitchen counter, the feel of his calloused fingertips tracing the slender lengths of her arms, and the tickle of his heated breath washing over her ear. He was testing out new cologne, sandalwood, and it was intoxicating to her overloading senses.

She wasn't sure how to react, what to think, what to say. What could anyone respond to such a desirable pairing of words from such a perfect and gorgeous man? She knew flocks of women would kill to be in her position right now, and that many women already had. Was she really special or just a body to keep his interest?

Itachi wished that he knew exactly what thoughts were running through her mind as he began to stroke her silken arms. Would she protest? He wasn't sure that he could stop himself should she protest against allowing him to take her, to fill her only with himself, and to create such an intimate bond with him that women of popularity held.

He inhaled the scent of her gentle jasmine shampoo again, his senses muffled and confused temporarily so that his head clouded, blinded with intense passion for his housekeeper. Simple, plain, Cinderella-esque Hinata.

Her heart began to pound dully in her ears as her lungs began to work overtime to catch up to her oxygen debt. She would have to say something sometime soon, but her lips formed no words, her tongue refused to hit the top of her mouth. She was actually feeling rather faint.

Itachi could feel her trembling in his arms, whether from fear or excitement, he couldn't be sure. His fingers stopped trailing the wonderful flesh of her arms to wrap around her waist as he tilted her to the side, bending and scooping under her knees, to lift her easily into his capable arms. Out of sick surprise and fear, she reached for his neck to hold on.

He grinned down wolfishly at her, something she had never viewed before from her employer. Her wide lilac eyes stared back, full of wonder and astonishment, since it was unfathomable that he would even touch her, much less lift her up.

"I guess I will have to convince you," he spoke as he began to stroll from the room. Her body was lithe, but he wasn't surprised since she kept her figure well and he had carried her. She was fuller than other girls he had brought home, more goddess like than she let on. Her body was something to be treasured, worshipped like the Greek goddess Athena, patron of Athens, or the seductive Aphrodite if Itachi remembered schooling well enough.

Her pallid skin flushed with livid color her eyes downcast but her grip remained firm. She was in no need of convincing in the least, she was however, in desperate need of a tongue with which to speak. She was dying to confess that he would not have to persuade her as much as he was thinking.

But as soon as that thought passed, another replaced it, a darker sort. Itachi most likely only wanted her for her body, to fill a longing need for a warm woman in his bed. She was just another trophy in his bed probably. Sleeping with Itachi wouldn't mean a thing come the morning time or even by the time the visit with his parents rolled along.

However, it was the closest she would come to experiencing love with Itachi though. This was something she had dreamed about since she had started working for the successful businessman two years ago, that he would scoop her into his arms and make sweet, passionate love to her. Who would blame her?

Was she willing to compromise her body and values for what could turn out to be one night of passion?

But what if, it wasn't compromising anything? What if there was a possibility that Itachi could actually be falling for her at more than just pretty face value? What if, she dared to hope, that Itachi might actually be falling in love with her? Hinata, a housekeeper and hiding black sheep of her family?

Itachi had never imagined it until the night before that he might actually be in love with the simple and quiet girl who kept his home for him, based on the usual women he tended to bed. He could always blame Kisame later, for placing the idea in his head, but the more he actually considered and pictured it the more he liked it.

He had never made love to a girl like Hinata before. He wondered if she were a virgin or a tigress in the bedroom. With her doe expression and the slight overcast of fear in her eyes, awed because of him, he figured she was still a virgin.

That same clean and innocent taste from merely her mouth would be on any part of her skin he held contact with, her body tight and supple, every inch sensitive to the touch. All of the other women knew exactly what they wanted done and let Itachi know at every hungry interval. He hated trying to comply with their many demands, sex being merely a tool or a chore.

He crossed the threshold to his bedroom, the door left open from changing that morning to work on his enormous mounds of ever present paperwork topping the surface of his polished desk. Hinata had seen the inside of Itachi's room before, practically every day, but never quite like this.

The dark, almost chocolate brown, white, and beige comforter he usually had on his bed was slightly rumpled from where he had spent the night merely lying on top of it. His white and grey socked feet were soundless as he swung through the entranceway and around the side of the bed to set her down. His room lacked a window, being on the side where a hallway lurked through the thin walls.

She landed with a soft 'thud,' lying gracefully on her back as she watched him, awaiting his next move. She was unsure of his actions, exactly what he was thinking. What if she chickened out and told him no? Would he be able to stop? Itachi wasn't sure himself.

His midnight chocolate eyes surveyed her amusedly, the way she bit her lip, her dark hair fanned out beneath her, her arms outstretched wide as the white tank top dipped low exposing slight cleavage, while her black skirt rumpled above her thigh, hinting at just a peek of white lacy undergarments as her knees were still bent from Itachi carrying her.

She appeared delightfully vulnerable as usual, her skin just begging for Itachi's calloused fingers to roam and caress as he pleased. He sat down on the edge of the bed slowly, watching her movements carefully. She didn't seem to be leaving, not moving a fraction. Instead, she was biting her lip furiously, blushing to the roots of her hair since he was observing her.

It was an awkward silence of both of them waiting for the other to move. Itachi felt like a foolish teenager again, his first time ever taking a woman to bed with him, only then it had been an older and more experienced high school student. The poor girl just lay there, now looking away from him. Hinata was nervous as to whether Itachi was actually going to do anything.

"Have you ever done this before?" Itachi asked softly as his lengthy torso covered hers, a hand on either side of her head his eyes and lips trained on her. Hinata's breathing hitched; sticking in her throat, as she felt there wasn't enough water in her body to wet her lips.

"N-no," she stuttered hoping that her breath was okay and that she had remembered to shower. Her mind was starting to blank the closer the beautiful Uchiha moved. Itachi could smell the jasmine, the scent tickling his nose as his lips pressed to the pallid skin of her shaking neck, just beneath her mop of hair.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing, if you let me," he whispered nibbling her earlobe. He heard her sharp intake of air with the highly sensuous move, a shiver running through her body, and her toes curling under his firm body. It was worth a try, in convincing Hinata to try him, just once. He could feel her full breasts beneath him, his body pressing against them.

"Itachi-sama, maybe we shouldn't," she protested, though her voice was weak. She wasn't even close to convincing herself though much less him. But to ease the disquiet in her mind at possibly partaking in such an act as this, she had to at least voice the other alternative. Itachi wasn't sure he could stop now, not when he had smelled her flowery scent.

"And why not?" he asked, his hot breath tickling her ear, washing over her so that shivers traveled her spine repeatedly. "You are so…" His lips moved to her jaw line and close to her mouth. "Beautiful," he told her, honestly meaning it. Now that she was taking more care in her appearance, she was extremely attractive, even all of his business partners noticing.

But even as he kissed her softly again, he noticed that beauty did something it normally did not on other women in the past, it lived below her flesh, so that she had both inner and outer beauty. She whimpered beneath him, her body shifting, but not far enough out of his reach. She wanted, no craved, his touch.

"No, this is-"Hinata was cut off as Itachi's intense eyes bore into her. There was no arguing with him when he was like that; he had given her the look before, when he was trying to make a point involving her or her actions. His lengthy body was crushing hers, full of corded power and scarcely restrained lust for her body alone.

"Wrong?" he asked, brushing his lips over hers, just hinting at tasting the sweet innocence that lingered there. He wanted to honestly claim it this time, so that she would belong to him and him alone. She would only crave his touch and flesh. She would only dream of his hands upon her, kneading her and coaxing her to womanhood. It was a furious, passionate need. "Why?"

"Well, you-"What did she want to say? He didn't love her? That she was just a prop? She was part of a false proposal and that she was foolish and neglecting her self-satisfactory goals of becoming a famous artist and abandoning her family name forever. But his hands on her clothed breasts felt so orgasmic that her lips parted, her tongue darting out to wet them, for they were drier than any desert on the planet.

This was all so wrong; she shouldn't have allowed herself to be sucked into his bed like one of his usual pets. She didn't know his true feelings. She had goals; she was sacrificing everything she had worked so hard to keep. Where was the developing backbone she had after all these years?

It was being pressed into the bed by an even stronger one; one that she had started deceiving along with everyone else, two years ago. Hinata could not stop the antiseptic feel of guilt washing over her, even while he was kissing her, but Itachi's lips eased the stinging pain.

"I what?" he asked. Why was Hinata trying so hard to stop him? Wasn't this what she wanted? She certainly could have fooled him. Maybe she was just playing coy. Some girls liked to play games like these, teasing him with their bodies until they eventually surrendered to him. She had been coy the whole week after all, actually since the day she started looking like a woman and not just a housekeeper.

His fingers were hooking under the hem of the soft white tank top, a different temperature from her own, but a welcome weight and contrast. Shouldn't she do things for herself? Would one night of endless, memorable pleasure ruin her life? Was it wrong, to want to reward herself with something she had dreamed of, with someone she had dreamed of, who was ready to take her even if it wasn't real?

"Do you want me?" he asked, straddling her hips. Itachi could see the confusion and self doubt in her eyes. He assumed that it was only because she was a virgin indeed and that she doubted she would begin to measure up to the other countless women. He wanted to reassure her that she would probably be his best night of passion, because she was different.

She was a different kind of girl, quiet, loyal, caring. She was the first person since his mother or his lawyer to actually care what happened to him, how he conducted his life, whether she told him directly or not. She obeyed every command and followed through with every order or request.

He owed it to her, to make this special. Hinata knew everything about him it seemed, except how his face twisted at the point of orgasm, when any man was most vulnerable.

Her body was soft under his experienced hands, well developed and proportioned. His hands caressed the generous roundness of her chest through the thin material as he traced directly around them, circling closer to the prominent and thrilled rose peaks.

He wanted to hook his warm mouth around one of them, to pull and have her squeal with immense pleasure beneath him as he smiled up at her.

His fingers moved to hook under one spaghetti thin strap, pulling it down the supple curve of her shoulder to her arm, his finger encountering her skin, causing her to shiver. It wasn't an impossible feat to expose her right breast to his excited eyes, as his mouth neared the flesh.

The warm, damp cavern closed over as much skin as possible, his lips pulling the bud in and his mouth sucking gently. His eyes closed in sheer pleasure at the sweet taste of her skin, like in the back of the car, as he quietly groaned from the full force of her body against his.

Hinata could not stop the sigh escaping her glossy lips as her hands reached forward of their own accord to touch him, encourage him to continue. Her head lolled back among his soft downy pillows and all sense of space and time dissipated in one wanton moan. Her world had exploded into passionate fireworks behind her eyes.

With a 'pop' Itachi released her chest, resting his head between the supple mounds as his eyes searched her delicate face. "Do you want me?" he requested, though he thought he already knew the answer and he was ever rarely wrong.

"Yes," she moaned, her fingers gripping him. She wanted him as she had never wanted anything before, the dark area between her legs growing uncomfortably hot with aching need for a man, a real man to fill the space. She wanted Itachi to take her, to show her what pleasure was. Her back arched slightly off the bed as his mouth began to pleasure her again.

"Then you shall have me, as you have never had me before," he told her as he continued, pulling for her clothes. He wanted to see all of her, to gaze upon a body that he had only imagined in his recent dreams. This would be an almost endless night of pleasure. His practiced fingers began to dispose of the clothing beside the bed.

Hinata could not help herself from feeling self conscious, being exposed to such a worldly cultured and refined man as Itachi. His soft chocolate gaze studied her like a work of art being appreciated in a museum. His fingers traced the lines of her velvety body, racking shivers through her being and the space growing hotter by the second.

Her hands automatically reached to shield her most vulnerable parts from his view, her body flushing with color. But he stopped her at her wrists quickly, holding her steady. "No, you have nothing to be self conscious about. Millions of women would kill to have your natural beauty," he spoke seductively lowering his long dark lashes. Hers was a body that could not be bought.

She smiled, bashfully, as he continued to praise her softly in her ear while his hands worked her into a fever. His mouth moved over every surface slowly, kissing each supple curve, brushing over each sensitive space that he knew would pleasure her. He knew the female anatomy well, every secret crevice that would turn even the most arctic woman into a sensual dynamo.

Hinata was even more sensitive than the women he had taken previously. She was inexperienced with everything, making small sounds of pleasure mixed with surprise and slight embarrassment. He couldn't remember when his clothes joined hers, but he remembered when her small, delicate hands reached out for his body, curious to see how he felt.

He lay beside her on the bed, allowing her fingers to touch wherever they wished, tracing down the hard lines of his chest to his carved hips, and cupping his growing manhood. Hinata had never touched a man before, never seen a man before. Even her cousin Neji, whom she lived with, had been careful around her so they had no walk-ins sharing a bathroom or something. She was dazzled with how even her simple touches and caresses, mirroring the ones on her body, could cause him so much excitement.

He lay there, eyes closed, moaning low in his throat as she continued almost innocently, curiously as to how she could create new sensations for him as well. This was not Hinata his housekeeper, this was Hinata his lover. He was almost ready to explode there; he had never been this hard before. His hair spilled across the pillows and she couldn't resist touching it as well.

Her eyes were wide, liquid like a doe's, and as pure as Itachi gazed into them from above. She allowed him to dominate her in bed, something that he had not had the pleasure of doing in a while. Most women wanted to be in full control. With Hinata, he was free to show her what he knew about pleasing her.

His fingers gently penetrated her, trying to ready her for the coming attraction. He wanted to avoid hurting her at all costs, so that sex would be a good memory and not a painful one. The intrusion was only slightly painful as he broke through the entrance fully, before his fingers began to guide her into real womanhood.

She arched her back, only half realizing that she was causing the wanton moans, drunk with immense pleasure as he continued his ministrations. He could feel only a little blood on his fingers, since she was older and most of the small cover being worn away naturally. But it was new experience for him as well.

He couldn't ignore the beautiful curve of her neck as she pressed into his pillows, trying to hold herself to the bed for she felt that she might float away from the fiery, passionate sensations. He leaned in and planted soft kisses there, smiling. She was ready for his rock hard body.

Itachi held her close before he entered her for the first time, kissing her passionately, whispering sweet nothings in her ears. Hinata could hardly understand him anyway, from the low timbre of his voice, darkened with lust and need. Her buttermilk colored legs were parted invitingly toward him, her vision hazed from the burning desire.

Slowly, he pushed forward as she whimpered and he reassured her with gentle kisses, until he was fully sheathed inside of her sultry, pulsating womanhood. The sounds she had been making before when his mouth and hands were performing all the necessary steps were nothing compared to when he began to work up a slow rhythm.

He asked for her constant reassurance that she wasn't in any kind of pain; that he could stop, although he wasn't really sure he could now that he was fully inside. But Hinata continued to tell him it was okay. She knew it hurt, but the small throbbing, dull ache was nothing compared to the feel of his manhood buried most intimately within her.

The way it scraped along the walls with slight noises, brushing and throbbing as he continued to thrust in and out of her, his hips always moving. She held onto his skin tightly with small cries of pleasure until they were both so close to the edge that sound hardly mattered. Itachi was surprised by how boisterous Hinata was turning out to be under these conditions. His normally quiet housekeeper actually had quite a voice.

Her body crumbled first under his immense pressure, a cry escaping her lips easily as waves of pleasure crashed over her, polished fingernails gripping tightly to any surface and refusing to let go. She was probably blind from the fireworks show behind her eyes.

Itachi kissed her furiously, his own orgasm only seconds away from exploding so that he could join her in beautiful rapture. Her lips were swollen from his almost constant attention, glossy from their mixed saliva and their tongues dancing between them, but beautiful and needy.

His hot seed released and seemed to continue for ages inside of her tired but pleased body, his back arching beautifully, the lamp light catching all of the shadows and surfaces of the pallid skin, his neck exposed and hair spilling damp around his shoulders. She knew her own hair was damp and sticking to any part of her skin.

When he was finished, he scooped her into his waiting arms, collapsing in the bed and pulling the covers over them. He had not had a release quite like that. He had not slept with anyone in months probably, but it wouldn't have mattered, the way she squeezed around him. He kissed the top of her head softly, holding her so that she was facing his chest.

Hinata curled into him softly, fitting exactly, as if they actually belonged together, like two missing pieces to a twisted puzzle. The dull ache from his first penetration had all but disappeared, the space feeling completed and whole. She was euphoric, her skin glowing with a delicate color only found after consummating love.

Her first time with Itachi was nothing she would have imagined, better than in her wildest dreams. It was worth compromising her life for the night. She was sure that she would never want another lover, ever. No one would ever measure up.

With a soft, pleased sigh, she fell asleep in his arms, his fingers stroking her hair as he smiled into the locks. She smelled like a woman should, pleased and sweet. He inhaled her sensitive scent as he too drifted away.

X

Itachi awoke a little while later to head to the bathroom for a minute. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His hair was mussed from the sweat and her hands, there were light pink scratches covering various surfaces, but none of that mattered.

Hinata had succumbed to him, and it was the best decision he had ever made. The girl was worth it. She was like no one else he had ever met before. She was perfect for him and it wasn't just the sex. His family would love her, he was sure. She would fit in perfectly at his side. Without meaning to, he had actually fallen for her completely.

They were like pieces. The money was the furthest thing from his mind, for the first night in a long time. He couldn't even calculate how long as he headed back for the bedroom to where Hinata was still resting lightly.

He smiled as he crawled across the bed, to experience her again.

X

**Author's End Note: **Well then?


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone in fanfiction land! I wished I had updated this sooner, but I have been very busy you see. Now before you brush off my excuses, let me tell you exactly what I have been doing in hopes that you understand.

While I have been out on break, I have started hand-making Bleach cosplay swords, both to keep and cosplay with, and then to sell. If you want to see them and me, blah blah, check my deviantart profile link on my profile here and tell me what you think. Sword making is easily addicting and is a family event for me, so it has been cutting into writing time more than I realized. So far I have only taken two days off? And that was for Christmas.

So, I hope everyone had a good Christmas or if you don't celebrate Christmas then a good holiday of whatever you celebrate. Get anything good? I know I did. Well, this is sort of my belated gift to you guys.

I know this chapter is short and that it might be kind of a filler, but it is important in setting things up for the next chapters and the rest of the story and such. I will hopefully have another update before school starts. Next semester is my final semester of my sophomore year in college and I will be graduating and such, so not sure how much time I'll be looking at to work on things until the summer break. Just honorifics this time too.

Oh yeah, since from what I can tell, Madara is in a grey area as far as fitting into the plot and such, in this fiction he is a cousin, just so you know, though he is the founder of the Uchiha clan? Or Tobi? Ugh - not sure- anyway, in this all you need to know is he is their cousin.

Thank you so much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts on this story! I am so happy and blushing that you guys enjoyed that last chapter especially and you all really made my day with your beautiful comments and I am really honored that you think so highly of my work, not to mention flattered beyond all reason. Really you guys are so sweet! -hugs- I would also like to mention that if you like Fullmetal Alchemist as well, or the pairing of Roy x Riza, then I have the first chapter up of a AU kind of similar to this one in that it was inspired by romance novel overdosing and such.

Okay, enough of my shamelessness and such babbling. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, the title of this fic, etc. No money is made from this.

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If I Fell

Chapter 11

Hinata was actually afraid to wake up. Her body knew it was time to get up; it was trying to signal her. But still, she refused to. It was Saturday; any woman was allowed to sleep in wasn't she? She held very still and tried not to move.

But someone shifted beside her, their sinewy lengthy arms holding her tightly to his chest. Someone nosed through her hair, their fingers gently tracing over her bare shoulders, their legs tightly entangling with hers as the hold released only slightly.

"You smell so beautiful," Itachi's voice floated through her slight, morning disorientation. What was Itachi doing in her dreams? Why did all of it feel so delightfully real? She must have been dreaming for this to be so good. His lips brushed softly over her earlobe.

Her lavender eyes opened slowly, just to be sure, when her thoughts finally collected and she recalled the passionate consummation of love the night before. She wandered over his sculpted physique, the pallid skin contrasting with his dark sheets pulled up merely to his waist, before she finally rested on his face.

"I do?" she asked, her hand reaching for his chest only inches before her. The skin was so supple and giving under her fingertips, wonderful as she gently traced patterns there. She dared to stare up at him, wondering how this morning was going to affect their relationship. It had already changed the night before, when he took her.

"Yes, like an angel," he whispered. She was beautiful, lying there beside him, her hair curled all beneath her, her skin like buttermilk, fresh and pure. He wasn't eager to have her out of his bed, to leave early for work he didn't have. He could lay there all morning with her.

She flushed with color as his slender finger traced her cheek, his chocolate eyes observing her. She was still like no other. They had made love several times during the night, each time more passionate then the last. She responded so naturally, not forced or put on to please him. It was truly art with her.

"Thank you," she whispered, her long dark eyelashes lowered coyly. She thought for sure that maybe she had done something wrong, that she may not have measured up. But Itachi was thoroughly impressed and astounded. They had gone beyond the roles they were meant to play for the public eye. But still that guilt started to eat away at her insides.

"Hinata, I wanted to tell you something," Itachi started as he shifted so that he could prop himself up on his elbow. She gasped as she lay under him slightly, so that he could look down at her, so that Hinata would understand. He had dropped any honorific with her, showing that he considered them to be on equal footing, instead of just his housekeeper.

"Yes?" she asked, feeling a lump grow in her throat. Was he going to reject her sweetly? She was so far into this job, it would be impossible to quit now. But would it matter? Itachi may be aiming to tell her something else.

"I…well…" Itachi was unsure of what to say, for the first time in his life, he could not form a complete sentence. His whole life, he had been completely sure of himself, until this girl, this woman, walked into it quietly and disrupted it, even in small things. "I actually feel for you," he told her. She gave him a confused stare. "I mean, I actually have feelings for you," he corrected.

She laughed, quiet and lowly, but she was pleased none the less that Itachi was looking more human all the time. She had seen all sides of him. Everything was laid bare in every sense of the word, and she could not be more pleased, if it wasn't for that developing gaping hole where her truth usually was.

"Itachi, I have always had feelings for you, since you hired me two years ago. I could see that you were a gentle man under all of the tabloids and work," she smiled, free of the stutter. With Itachi, she could be herself, quiet and reserved. He had corrected her speech problem with simple work. How could she leave now?

He actually smiled, a full and traffic stopping smile, one of his extremely rare and he was smiling only for her. She could feel her pulse triple as he leaned in to kiss her passionately again, his supple lips connecting with hers. Her whole body felt perfectly alight again, like anytime that Itachi touched her.

"Hinata, I think I have fallen in love with you," he whispered, his hot breath crashing over her ear. He nibbled and teased, feeling her body respond excitedly beneath him. At any given moment, he could have had probably several women fall for him in vulgar manners. But Hinata had remained quietly reserved and coy, like a true woman, waiting for Itachi to realize his error.

"Oh, Itachi," she gasped. He was happy, because of her. Her heart rejoiced. She had made Itachi happy, after all this time. She laughed as he rolled in the bed with her, smiling and uncharacteristically pleased. Itachi had not been this elated since probably childhood. It was a good, weightless feeling.

They rose later, after spending more time in bed together, lounging on a Saturday afternoon. They hardly worried about birth control, since it was supposedly love, they were feeling after all. If Itachi loved her as much as he believed he did, then any risk of pregnancy was fine, if it was meant to be.

"I think my parents are really going to appreciate you," he told her as she made his favorite tea, while he was seated at the kitchen table, watching her prepare lunch. "Just think, this time next week, you will probably be conversing with my mother."

"Oh?" she asked meekly. '_Maybe my little lie won't matter so much now,' _she thought as she stirred. '_Maybe if I tell him now, we can work this out before next week without anything happening.' _She turned on her heel, biting her lip. "Well can I-"

But her words were cut short by the angry sound of the doorbell slicing through the joyous air and the rest of the hollow apartment. It was an unfortunate coincidence and untimely interruption. Itachi had been focused attentively on her, but now his focus shifted to the door. He held up a finger as he rose from the chair and headed for the foyer.

Hinata bit her lip and followed him. Could it be her family? Was it finally her past coming to claim her, to rip the sudden happiness she had experienced away? It wouldn't have surprised her, since fate seemed to be a cruel mistress. She stood slightly behind him as he opened the door.

Itachi wasn't sure why anyone would come to their apartment on a Saturday. It could have been anyone from school girls selling something to a deranged maniac. He wasn't going to make Hinata open it though, for her own safety.

"Hey brother," Sasuke's cool voice floated through. Itachi should have known that either Madara or Sasuke would show up, with all of the press floating around. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had suddenly begun to snow, right then and there.

"Sasuke, what a nice surprise," he greeted him cordially, shaking his outstretched hand. Sasuke was alone, he took careful note. It wasn't that he didn't love Sasuke, for he did, just that he always grew slightly suspicious when the younger brother showed up, unannounced to his home.

"Oh, and what do we have here?" Sasuke asked, his dark inherited eyes staring past his brother to Hinata, just behind him, her hair messy with love, dressed in her clothes from the night before. She suddenly felt exposed under his calculating gaze. She could easily see who he learned it from though, since that was often how Itachi looked at her.

Protectively, Itachi held an arm in front of her, as if trying to shield her from Sasuke's view. For some reason, he didn't want his brother to see her like this, to look at her in such a manner. His brother was looking for something, suspicious of the rumors and dying to know if they were true. They were more than true; they were beautiful, but somehow familiar.

"This is my fiancé, Hinata," Itachi told him with a strained smile as they moved aside so that Sasuke could come into the house. He wondered if his brother would recognize her right away. He knew Sasuke had met her before, but she looked different now.

"This is Hinata?" Sasuke asked, his obsidian eyes widening considerably in the foyer. He resisted the urge to take her hand and spin her around to look at. Her skin was flushed with fresh color and he wasn't sure Itachi would let anyone else touch her for even an instant. "She looks completely different," Sasuke smiled as he walked for the kitchen.

Making himself completely at home in Itachi's apartment was something that irked his older brother. He knew that Sasuke only did it for that reason, to see how far he could make his blood rush. They followed closely, their hands intertwined to the tips of their fingers.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi demanded swiftly. At any other time, Sasuke's visit would have been appreciated and revered, but right now it was more of an annoyance. Sasuke did not answer, but merely grabbed one of the hot red tomatoes on the counter, tossing it from hand to hand for a few minutes. Hinata had never been allowed to see on eye level with him before now.

"I just came by to congratulate the happy couple," Sasuke told him innocently, lowering his eyes when he finally turned to face them. "When is the wedding?" he smiled. He was hoping to catch his brother in his lie. But even as his eyes shifted from one to the other, his older brother wasn't lying.

"Sasuke-"Itachi started.

"Soon," Hinata cut him off with a gentle smile. "Very soon." She was feeling empowered by her night as a woman. Her homework was the furthest thing from her mind right now, which she knew was a terrible sign, in case all of this ended badly. She prayed it did not. Her heart would most likely break, since she poured everything about herself, her mind, body and soul into fulfilling this extra need.

"Well, I am glad for you two," he smiled. But his mind was calculating. She looked familiar, to someone that was constantly in the social circles and had a full history of such at his fingertips. It was the shape of her face and her strange colored eyes. Was it just because she was pulled forward into the light suddenly? '_Uzumaki Hinata…'_

"You should be," Itachi said, sending a gentle squeeze to her hand, trying to communicate that everything was alright. "I haven't seen anything in the papers about you finding someone." His brother's face took a dark look.

It was true, that Sasuke had been unable to find a woman suitable to his needs, that wouldn't control him as if she were his property. There was his secretary, Karin, but she was healthily unstable and therefore unfit to be introduced to his family. He had tried, unsuccessfully to fire her, but she had come back again and again.

"That's because there is no one perfect enough for me out there," Sasuke sniffed, trying to regain face. He set the tomato down, to avoid crushing it in his clenching fists. Because they were family and had been so close, they knew each others' vulnerable spots by heart, how to go for the kill.

"Well that is too bad," Itachi spoke softly, trying to ease the hurt his words had caused. He hated to have his brother at odds, when he loved him so much. It was hard to choose between love and family sometimes. "I'm sure you'll find someone." There was another awkward pause between the brothers and Hinata had the feeling she was intruding on something.

"Yeah, maybe," he nodded.

"Will you be staying for lunch?" Hinata offered, unable to help herself from temporarily slipping into the role that the younger Uchiha was familiar with, that of a servant, nobody.

"No, I ate on my way here," Sasuke lied. He wasn't sure he could take anymore of his brother and his possible sham relationship. But he knew every time he met his brother's matching obsidian eyes that his brother wasn't lying. This was all very real to him now. And it was sickening to the point of nausea. "I was on my way to visit Madara."

"Be sure to give him my best then," Itachi smiled. He and Madara had been close since he was in middle school. They had a lot of things in common and he was like an older brother to Itachi. As far as he knew, Madara was single too. Would they really plot against him or was he still just being paranoid?

"I will. See you next week then." Itachi walked Sasuke to the door and locked it securely after he left. He felt the stirrings of uncertainty and suspicion brewing in the pit of his stomach, not because of the visit itself now, but because of the manner in which his brother left. He shook his head however and returned to Hinata.

She was stirring the contents of the pan in front of her without actually noticing them. She was just as shaken up as he was, and she had every right to be. She realized she wouldn't be able to tell him now. His arms wrapped around her waist and he rested silently upon her.

"Was there something you were trying to tell me earlier?" Itachi asked quietly once she realized that the vegetables were going to burn if she did not turn the stove off. She looked like she had been trying to communicate something rather important before his brother interrupted and shook their worlds.

"No, it was nothing," she smiled wanly as the vegetables were dumped in simple black bowls.

X

"So the rumors are true then?" Madara said as he spun his brand new plush black office chair to face the young Uchiha. His long dark hair fell around his shoulders in shaggy waves.

"I'm afraid so."

"Well then, as suspicious as this sounds, I'm not going to take any action," Madara brushed off, turning to the stack of papers on his messy desk. He hated paper work, and on a weekend no less. But he had frequented one too many parties this week and needed to catch up.

"What?" Sasuke asked, surprise clearly written on his face, no attempt to even hide it now. Was the whole world going mad?

"Sasuke, Itachi is a grown man and free to make his own mistakes," Madara brushed off, already tiring of the younger man and his temper, his pen scratching across the surface of the paper. But that wasn't good enough for Sasuke. He was quietly fuming.

His lean body pushed off from the equally plush black chair he had been previously seated in and began to pace, his arms behind his back, and his shoulders hunched. Madara tried to ignore him for the most part and try to make some headway in the stack of papers, hoping that the young Uchiha would just leave him in peace.

Suddenly, the tranquility of the home office was broken by the sound of a loud descending digital ringing coming from Sasuke's pocket in something similar to a Beethoven symphony. Madara glanced up; his face twisted with slight irritation, as Sasuke paid no mind and glanced at the caller I.D.

_Uzumaki, Naruto_ was flashing in brilliant electric blue across the screen, the phone seemingly angry since he wasn't answering but merely staring incredulously, as if he had no idea who was calling him. _Uzumaki. _

"I'll see you later Madara," Sasuke told him shortly, not even waiting for a response as all stomped from the office, slamming the door behind him hard enough to rattle the tasteless modern art on the blank walls, as he flipped the phone open.

"Hey Naruto, we need to have a long talk. I have some things I want to ask you," Sasuke smiled as he made his way out of Madara's house with a smirk, not even allowing the somewhat boisterous blond have a word in edgewise.

X

**Author's End Note: **Review?


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** Hello guys, I am back, er sort of. You see, I have quite a few reasons why I haven't been updating. Last time I updated, I was still in college just on break. Well I have since graduated with my two associates at least and am on summer break. Also, in case you haven't browsed my profile or deviantart I take commissions for cosplay props and absolutely love it. But while I do love it, it is also considered a bit of a job and so I haven't had time to update, answer reviews, read updates, write emails... you see my point?

But I didn't want to abandon writing completely, it just had to be on hold until I got some things finished. I hope to have more of my work updated soon, as I miss it a lot. So I present to you, the next chapter of If I Fell. Hopefully, I'll be responding to your reviews soon, all of the ones I missed before too.

Translations:

Maybe some honorifics.

Also, I have to say that I changed my mind a bit about the pregnancy part in chapters 10 and 11, well not changed my mind, changed her mind. You get the idea. It just needed a bit more explanation. Don't worry, I wouldn't let her get pregnant like this folks. Anyway some cultural stuff like the entrance way to the home and position of the shoes as well as the sink room instead of a full bathroom. Sorry if there are any mistakes or misspellings and the like, it was hot today and I was a bit sick.

But enough from me. Enjoy! Please, positive reviews and constructive criticism. Oh yes, thank you for all the reviews and continued support! It wouldn't be possible without you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the title of this fic. No money is made from this.

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 12

Hinata's breath caught in her throat as she glanced out over the landscape offered by the small window of the private jet she and Itachi were traveling in. She had lived in Japan her whole life, but had never seen this part of it.

In the early hours of the morning, with the sun just appearing in the sky over the peaks of the mist-covered mountains as fog still lingered around the ground and trees, everything was bathed in a pleasant salmon-gold hue that reached for miles. She wished she had a camera, or better yet a canvas, the sight was so picturesque.

Beside her, Itachi was torn between reading the morning paper and glancing out the window with her. It had been several years since he had returned to his childhood home for a visit. To be honest, he had forgotten the simple beauty of the sunrise over the natural territory.

The last time he had returned home, it was summer, middle of the day and he had cursed the very sun for shining as it was so hot he could scarcely breathe once they landed. He had not stayed long then, only a night or two, as the house was hot.

They had risen early on this Thursday morning, around six am, to make the trip to the airport where his company's jet was waiting for them. They would land not so far away from his childhood village and take a taxi the rest of the way.

"Beautiful isn't it?" he murmured against her cheek, leaning across the armrest to look outside with her, the paper abandoned in his lap. He placed a gentle kiss on the smooth, clean skin feeling her smile and flush with hot color.

"Yes, it is," she agreed, figuring he was referring to the sunrise as well as her. It was the type of thing he would do. Either way, she would be prepared.

The rest of the weekend and week had gone very well. Her smile grew wider with remembrance. During the day, they would return to their normal appearances, her at school and him at work. Then at night, they worked and played. It had been harder to concentrate on all of her schoolwork, even the midterms that had begun to pervade the air on campus.

Not to mention that Neji had become almost a full time guard to and from school once the pictures from Pein's party surfaced, thus confirming everyone's beliefs. Groups of gossipy girls followed her everywhere, even in the bathroom, trying to get a nugget of information past her sealed lips. They were terrifically jealous and catty, Hinata growing a little more afraid of them every day.

Just like her own worries struggling to pass her lips. She still clung to the fragile hope that maybe the public wouldn't expose her secret. Maybe, if she just told Itachi one night before or after bed, he wouldn't be upset with her. Or at least too upset with her. It would be better to hear it from her instead of a reporter, or worse, her family.

Try as she might, she couldn't shake the feeling it was coming soon, just like an angry summer storm brewing in the distance. This was a modern era; he would have to be more understanding wouldn't he? Though, as much experience as she had with aristocracy and fame, she knew she didn't have a fighting chance.

But it was hard to concentrate on confessing to him when he would place lavish kisses on her sensitive skin. He was an astounding lover, the rumors of his bedroom prowess holding a pale candle to the actual experience. It was hard to concentrate on anything but him and the ecstasy crashing through her systems at even his most basic touch.

It was more than just making love that held her fast to him. It was the comfort of his warm arms; the genuine love that she could feel radiating from him in a way that she never dreamed was possible. After a night or two, she could tell that no one else had ever seen him as she had. None of the one-night-stands had ever experienced Uchiha Itachi as she had.

And once more, her fears were pressed deeper within; another layer compacted on top of past layers, all the while building up slowly. She could feel them, like fine dust gathering in a long empty room. But still, she pressed them down.

Though, a more prominent fear had been ending up pregnant in the middle of all this press as well as school. The stress might kill any child until things smoothed out. She voiced her concerns to Itachi before going to a gynecologist and taking the prescribed birth control the day of Sasuke's visit.

Hinata had been worried she might end up pregnant and didn't want to hurt the possible child, but right before their trip mother nature had brought her monthly gift of womanhood to her at the usual time.

Itachi had finally come around when he realized how dangerous it could be, though he hadn't been worried about her not being on birth control when he had taken her to the bedroom, or even the day after. A baby, while not at the top of his list, would not have been an unwelcome addition.

When she gazed into his smooth face, touching the perfect bone structure there, she knew that she could never tell him. The risk of pregnancy, while different, had been sort of an ordeal. It would take more willpower than she believed she possessed for her to break this life they led with her confession of who she had been.

Itachi had never felt so weightless going about menial tasks at work and in the office as he had in the last week. He had never realized the effect that the right woman could have on him. All those one-night stands were vast, repetitive, and hollow memories compared to the fresh and deep ones he now shared with Hinata only.

He knew when he looked at her resting so peacefully in his bed every morning, that she was his one and only. There would be no other woman that could shake him to the core like this. She was his priceless diamond in the ruff.

When he watched her performing the house chores, or finishing her homework, he couldn't imagine his apartment without her presence. Sometimes he dreamed the house would fall completely apart if she wasn't there.

How he had ever existed without her, he was unsure. His only regret was not taking proper notice of her sooner. How he could have saved himself two years of empty memories, of nasty rumors and even nastier truths. But he looked past that and continued.

Still, Sasuke's visit lingered in the back of his mind. His brother had been up to something that day, merely dropping by the house to confirm a plan one way or the other. He had spoken to Madara before they left, but he wasn't giving much away.

Itachi had a feeling his brother and cousin had spoken behind his back, though it seemed, for now his cousin was still on his side. The last time Sasuke had done something under handed like that had been the last time the whole family had been together, the reason for his leaving early.

Sasuke had riled his father against both him and Madara, working off false accusations at work regarding their business dealings, bringing inquires against both of them with a lot of 'hush-hush' to the press. It had taken nearly two years to repair the damage done. Fugaku Uchiha was a man not willing to forgive as easily as his sons.

Of course, Itachi knew that Sasuke had his own business reasons for deliberately trying to mislead his father. All three of them couldn't help a little healthy competition and had easily forgiven each other. Sasuke was the youngest and therefore had to work the hardest to gain his father's eye, which he had certainly done with that gathering.

"I think you'll enjoy this weekend."

"I hope so." Hinata was certainly looking forward to seeing Itachi's childhood home. She had seen few pictures of it around their apartment, but they were of less than satisfactory quality, only showing a doorway or garden. It filled her with a new sense of excitement that she was going to get to see something none of the others had.

She snuggled closer into the crook of his arm and waited for the flight to be over.

X

As the cab dropped them off in the dusty driveway, lined with cherry trees and gardens of still blooming flowers, nothing could have prepared Hinata for the Uchiha homestead.

Itachi had mentioned to her that it was a traditional-style home, but she could not have guessed at its rugged beauty. It was fit for a Shogun from an era long since passed. If she strained her eyes, she swore that she could have seen samurai practicing amongst the trees as well as women in their traditional colorful kimonos tending the gardens.

Self consciously, she smoothed out the beautiful contrasting lavender-amethyst dress that Itachi had chosen for her. She had been worried they would have to dress traditionally, not looking forward to wearing the many parts of a kimono all weekend in a strange place where she wasn't sure she was welcomed.

"Don't worry, you're beautiful," Itachi spoke from behind her, as they both stood in the driveway, holding their bags.

"Are you sure they'll like me?" She wanted to laugh, worrying about something like that now, when a week before she had been afraid of someone seeing through what had started as a deception.

He kissed her cheek, answering, "They'll love you." He gave her a rare smile as they began to walk on the slightly dusty pathway, through the still lush fall gardens, toward the wooden steps and onto the covered deck.

Hinata could feel her stomach flipping then clenching with nervousness. This was almost as bad as her first day of work and her first time with Itachi. These were the people that gave him life that had brought them together in a sort of convoluted way.

She stood there uncertainly as Itachi dropped a bag, rapped the wood frame supporting the screen of the door, and waited. She swallowed uncomfortably for something to do. The urge to begin pressing her index fingers together surfaced, but because her hands were full it was pressed below.

Itachi could see the pale skin on her neck twitch as she swallowed, probably her nerves. He would have been lying if he said he wasn't in the slightest nervous as well. He knew he was on good terms, at least in the office now, but did that apply at home as well? Was he dragging Hinata into something potentially dangerous?

The door opened to reveal a woman with facial structure strikingly similar to that of Itachi and Sasuke's, her hair slightly darker. She smiled warmly at them, pushing the rest of the door away from her and grabbing her son in a gentle hug.

"Itachi, we are so glad that you're home," she spoke quietly kissing his cheek lightly. "You're the first to arrive, though Sasuke phoned and said he would be in soon along with Madara." He merely nodded, reaching over to grab Hinata's hand. That was reassuring news, at least he would have some alone time with his father beforehand.

"Mother_,_ I want you to meet my fiancée," Itachi told her, directing her attention.

"So this is the girl everyone is so excited about," the woman smiled. Hinata could see where the Uchiha boys got their looks and charm from. Remembering her manners, she bowed deeply from the waist.

"It is very nice to meet you," she said, rising slowly once the other woman had bowed to her with the same greeting.

"You are Hinata-san?" his mother questioned. No one had given her a last name. The press didn't have one yet, and therefore his parents wouldn't either. She breathed an internal sigh of relief. She nodded, afraid to say anything for the woman was looking at her critically, as her sons did before she smiled.

"Then it is very nice to meet you indeed," she laughed. She was more beautiful than Hinata could have imagined. Her fair face contrasted well with her dark eyes and her free, waist length hair. "You as well…" Her delicate voice trailed away. She was unsure of what to call the woman, unable to recall her first name, not sure if they were on the same level. She waited.

"Please refer to me as _kaasan_, as well," she nodded as she took the girl's hands in her own. "After all, I will be you mother probably very soon." The thought thrilled Hinata, more than she let on. She had never had a mother after all. It made the lie all the more real, to hear it from someone else.

She led them into the house, shutting the door behind them. The inside was as well kept as the outside and Hinata found herself staring more than she wanted to. Everything had probably been passed down from one legacy to the next.

The floor was so clean, everything so organized, and tidy. All of the paintings were antiques most likely, created for the family of the landscape surrounding the house. The doors were probably even the originals.

The couple removed their shoes, pointing them toward the door and grabbing the white slippers provided before they actually stepped up to the rest of the house level, into a large living space. The house had probably been shifted around for their visit, for it looked like this space would hold dining arrangements as well.

"Itachi, your father is waiting out back for you. I will worry over our honored guest here." She smiled at Hinata.

"Alright." He bowed and left, walking out back to greet his father. Hinata looked to the face of his mother for guidance.

"Come with me," she said as she grabbed Itachi's bags and the two made their way down a hallway on her left, back to the covered walkway outside. They walked around the outside of the house, past more screen doors and gardens. Hinata could see where homes might have been on either side of them at one time, like a village.

The Uchiha home was very lavish and beautiful in its own way. Hinata could see that they had modern appliances, despite what she had thought originally. But they were tastefully added so that they blended well instead of detracted from the traditional feel.

"Your home is beautiful," Hinata told her.

"Thank you, I am pleased you like it." She stopped and opened a door. There was probably a way to get inside of it from inside, but this must have been part of a tour or she didn't want to risk interrupting the men. "This was Itachi's room when he lived here."

"Oh I see." They set the bags down near the door. There was one rather average sized bed along with shelves of books and several boxes she figured must have had personal affects in them. "You don't mind us…"

"Staying together? No. It is not a problem," she smiled. "I understand. I am so pleased to have you in my home Hinata. Come with me, we'll talk." She could certainly see where Itachi got his kind, caring side from. The other woman showed her the layout of the house, so that she would feel comfortable navigating over the weekend.

His mother was very gentle, though not overly suspicious. She asked Hinata about her interests and activities, her dreams. As Itachi had predicted, his mother was nothing short of ecstatic to have her. She already felt as if she had known the woman her entire life and therefore loved her as if she were her own mother.

Hinata had craved the attention of a mother figure for years now, and it seemed that Mikoto Uchiha was pleased at the thought of having a daughter like Hinata. Would it be enough to save her? She was nervous at the thought of meeting his father. She knew he was probably as intimidating or more so as her own father.

Mikoto had gently explained that when Fugaku was much younger he was the chief of police for their district. But he had been wounded severely and therefore had to relinquish control to another family member. Luckily, another family member had cut him in on his company. With his strategist brains and commanding expertise, he had ended up on top within the first two years, thus setting his sons' futures in the same path.

"But don't worry; I think he will like you as well. He wants to meet you as soon as they come back in." Hinata felt slightly reassured as she helped Mikoto prepare lunch in the modernized kitchen. Her gut wrenched when she heard a knock from the front of the house. It was either Sasuke or their cousin Madara.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to go and freshen up for lunch," Hinata said, excusing her to buy a few more minutes. Mikoto nodded as she headed to answer the door. She hurried to the sink room, to wash her hands as well as hide out to regain her composure.

She couldn't let herself get scared over simple things such as a knock on the door. She rested against the fall, facing the washing machine and dryer against the opposite wall, catching her breath. Hinata washed her hands and adjusted her clothing.

Everything was going to be alright; she resolved as she made to step back into the hall, feeling slightly rejuvenated. Everything would go fine as long as she upheld her show of self confidence.

But as Hinata opened the door, her luck seemed to run out. She was face to face with the younger Uchiha; his dark eyes glaring down at her from his leaning devil may care position on the doorframe. She gasped, her hand automatically flying to her chest as if to still her pounding heart.

"I know your secret," Sasuke said, his lips breaking into a smirk. Hinata felt her heart skip a beat as her stomach plummeted.

X

**Author's End Note:** Miss me? Miss updates? Love this? Let me know! I'm waiting with open mail lol.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** First of all, I have to say thank you for all the wonderful support on this fic! I really appreciate it you guys and your reviews make my day! I hope to continue hearing from you as well.

Translations: honorifics?

This is the long awaited chapter. Or at least the first one ^_^ I am not going to say much to give it away. I remember to say though, I apologize if anyone is OOC as these are my interpretations of them, adjusted to fit an AU storyline and this plot as well as changed roles and such. I wanted a good mix of bitter, sweet, and everything between on this one and hope it went well.

Please remember positive or constructive criticism ^_^

Without too much further ado, I present chapter 13.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. I do not own the title of the fic. No money is made from this.

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 13

Searching deep within herself, where she hoped lingered enough courage to figure out a proper plan, Hinata tried to formulate a quick response to the younger Uchiha's statement. But she had the sinking feeling she was entangled before she could even fight.

"Oh really?" she asked, sounding more confident than she felt. "I don't know what you're talking about," she told him nonchalantly. Hinata tried to brush past him, as if she didn't give one flying fish what he knew, and hoped it was working. He could have possessed all the knowledge in the world and she wouldn't have cared.

"Yes, Hyuuga Hinata," Sasuke told her quietly, his voice sounding deadly in the tense air. Her real name unfortunately froze her in her tracks. It had been forever since she had heard both last and first together. "Or is that Heiress Hyuuga Hinata?" He was toying with her.

"What?" she asked as she turned around slowly. Her limbs felt carved from the finest ice. "Where did you get that idea?"

"Funny things cell phones are," he smiled nastily, taking his own from the tight front pocket of his white-washed designer jeans. He flipped it open, scrolled down a list of names, before holding it out for her to see. 'Uzumaki, Naruto' was typed in the white letters. His thumb scrolled further, showing 'Hyuuga, Hiashi' and just above it 'Hyuuga, Hanabi.'

"What do you want?" she asked, her own voice becoming quieter than his.

"Oh, nothing much," he shrugged. She could hear more voices in the rest of the house and prayed to any deity that would listen this did not mean the end. "Just my brother's suffering and my father's share of the company."

"But surely, you wouldn't undermine his happiness and trust like this would you?" she prompted, touching her index fingers together. "That is no way to earn respectable business."

"But wouldn't you? He believes you're someone else. How is he going to feel?" Sasuke asked as he took a step closer, trying to pin her against the nearest wall; She held her ground.

"It won't make that much of a difference," she said defiantly, hoping it was truer than it felt. "He would love me no matter what."

"Are you so sure?" Sasuke asked. She got the distinctive feeling that this wasn't just about her name anymore. The younger Uchiha was holding something back as valuable as gold and he wasn't about to let it go. "Someone who has had to work their way to the top like him, who doesn't have many friends that he can trust, who believes nearly everyone around him is just out to use him for something?"

When he put it like that, Hinata began to question how strong their bond was. She shook her head, trying to clear the negative thoughts. All that mattered was trying to unveil the truth before Sasuke did, making Itachi understand that she didn't do it on purpose.

"Please, don't do this," she pleaded with him. "He loves you Sasuke. This is no way for brothers to act. I'm sure if you just spoke to him about how much your father's share of the company would mean to you then you could reach an agreement soon enough."

Mikoto had explained that when Sasuke was younger, he seemed to feel that Itachi was the apple of his father's eye. But that just wasn't true. Fugaku loved his sons equally; just Itachi needed more worrying over since he was the oldest. She was never sure Sasuke accepted this though.

"No, the time for agreements is over," Sasuke snapped. "All my life he has always won more approval than me, even though I worked twice as hard to mean something. No, I am going to do this, if it is the last thing I do," he smiled. "I will beat my brother once and for all."

Hinata could have never believed it possible. The younger Uchiha, while a bit crafty, had never acted like this. She wondered if their father intended for his healthy competition to bring out the worst in one or both of them.

"But don't worry," he added offhandedly as he stood at the end of the hall. "I won't reveal it right away. I'm waiting for the most dramatic moment."

"Wait," she said, stretching her hands out, as if she were going to grab the material of his fitted t-shirt. With the devious smirk back in place, he turned to regard her, looking for the entire world as if he had planned it this way.

"Yes?"

"Just give me a chance to explain it to him, so that he'll understand," she pleaded hoping that would buy more time until she could run out back to where he was sitting with his father and confess then, before Sasuke did.

"Fine," he nodded as he started to walk away. "But I really don't think that will make much of a difference at the end of the weekend." He was out of sight before she could hope to catch him again. But Hinata would not be so easily defeated.

She had worked so hard for two years and finally Itachi loved her. It wasn't going to waste like that, not if she could help it. Clenching the fists at her sides, she followed after him to the kitchen. Itachi and his father were just coming in from outside, the oldest Uchiha smiling and patting his son on the back.

"Father," Itachi started as he grabbed Hinata's hand, oblivious to her distress, "this is the girl I was telling you about." She looked up at his father, smiling politely before she bowed respectfully once again.

"Nice to meet you," she told him.

"I approve," his father nodded. Itachi couldn't help but feel proud. His father never took to outsiders, but this was a good sign after their long talk of business and family. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sasuke leaning against the counter, playing with a tomato and smirking. Itachi flashed his eyes dangerously at him to stop, as he thought it was about Hinata's figure in her bowing posture. "Would you join me out back for a quiet talk?" he asked.

"Of course, I would be honored." She knew it would be rude to make him wait. She just hoped that the gods were honoring her side today and that she would be able to tell Itachi soon. She took his offered arm and followed him outside.

There was already tea waiting, she could see Itachi's untouched cup. It was probably cold instead of hot to his taste and he had quietly refused it. Fugaku looked nothing like his sons, save for the deep lines under his eyes like she knew so well on Itachi. But he was not unattractive.

His skin was more tanned and rugged with age, but his hair was every bit as full and rich of the dark chocolate coloring she so favored in his son. He moved quietly, probably from the years of practiced police work, but he had restlessness about him from the office. He was dressed down in an olive green haori with hakama-style black pants, his feet bare.

They sat down on the steps together, overlooking the backyard with all of its trees, flowers, and small ponds. The late afternoon sun was just beginning to cast the deep orange glow over the distant foliage. It was so quiet that she nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke.

"My oldest son is quite taken with you," he spoke softly, taking a sip of his tea. Hinata was unsure of what to say, so she folded her hands in her lap and remained silent; waiting.

She glanced at the ring on her finger Itachi had given her. It had been his grandmother's; long stored and simple with a single emerald in it, framed by silver. It was a stunning antique and she was in love with it the moment she saw it.

"I can certainly see why," he continued, glancing thoughtfully at her. "You are not like those other girls that made me stop reading sections of the paper." Surprisingly, he laughed and Hinata could not help herself, joining in. "There now, it was meant to be humorous on the part of the other girls. From what I have heard, they are nothing but jokes compared to you in my son's eyes."

She covered her mouth, to stifle the sound after another second or two. So far, he was nothing like her father, but being around this family had proven she could not take anything at face value. She waited for more.

"But I certainly like you already and you seem to be very good for him. You remind me a young Mikoto," he nodded toward the screens where they could hear pots and pans being shifted around then a complaint of who had to do the dishes after lunch.

He simply stared into the distance for a long time, most likely lost in his memories. Hinata was afraid he might have forgotten her sitting there, but she was afraid to go inside without his permission as well. Or, he was probably observing her as part of his left over police tactics. "I think you will work out fine for this family," he finally told her.

"Thank you sir," she nodded, smiling.

"Now, let's get inside before those boys eat all the food." He stood, stretching a warm and calloused hand for hers, helping her to her feet. No, he was not the type of man who would pit his sons so violently against each other on purpose.

When they opened the screen she could see Itachi, Sasuke, and Madara all laden with bowls of steaming food headed for the larger living space as they followed them.

X

Lunch was not the disaster Hinata was thinking it would be; though her stomach twisted into such complicated knots she was unable to enjoy the delicious food as she had wanted to. When Sasuke thought no one else was looking at her, he would smirk.

Hinata just wanted lunch to be over with so that she could get Itachi alone long enough to explain things to him. She kept up a friendly conversation as best she could with Madara, whom she didn't really know only having met him a handful of times.

He had accepted defeat early as he did not have a regular girlfriend and was merely along for the weekend visiting, he had explained. That eased some of her worry. He liked to make her laugh though, telling her sometimes tasteless or off-color jokes, that despite her composure found herself laughing at anyway.

One time she nearly choked on her food and had to be patted sternly on the back before Itachi leaned across the table to strangle his favorite cousin with his own hair. But even Fugaku laughed sometimes, so she knew it was alright.

Itachi couldn't help but allow himself a small smile as he watched her interacting with his beloved family. He could see them gathered around like this at various holidays and celebrations, Hinata fitting in perfectly.

He loved watching her polite smile and her questioning eyes every time Madara leaned over to speak to her, as if she were asking Itachi's permission. He would gently nod at her that it was okay. He couldn't ignore Sasuke's attention though. His little brother was up to something and he would try later to coax it out of him if he could.

He knew his father would offer the other two fair chances, since he would be the default winner otherwise. He wasn't the type of man to just hand anything over. But Itachi found that he really didn't care if he won or not anymore. Taking his father's shares in the business would make him busier than he already was.

He really wanted more time with Hinata than more work. He would be willing to hand the shares over to Sasuke and Madara no problem, if it would mean more time. Then everyone would get something good out of this. He figured that was what his father really meant for them to do.

"Now give them some alone time," his mother had insisted after lunch, with a knowing smile to both of them. Hinata could hear Sasuke and Madara groaning like small children as they were made to pick up the empty dishes and troop back to the kitchen.

"Come on," Itachi said, holding out a hand for Hinata. "I want to show you some of my favorite places here," he explained. She smiled, taking the offered gesture as they walked down the hall and out of the house. "When I was a boy," he started, "I would spend many hours in these gardens reading and observing nature." He gave her the briefest of smiles.

Hinata was still feeling nervous though. She cherished the smile, committing it to memory in case he never smiled for her again. They continued through the gardens, further from the house and toward the trees.

"I really love it here," she told him. He squeezed her hand gently in reply as they continued on. She could see a small koi pond up head with several stone benches for watching.

"This was my favorite pond as a child," he told her. "In the summer I would feed the fish we kept here." He sat down, gently pulling her beside him. She could see the pond was quite empty now, and had been for some time. "Though every winter they died off because of the cold."

He stared in quiet concentration at the surface of the black water for a long time while Hinata tried to keep her nerves intact. She was fumbling with the hem on her dress before Itachi noticed something was bothering her.

"Is something wrong? You're quieter than usual," he remarked softly, pulling her into his side more and shielding her from the slight nip in the air.

"I have something to tell you," she started, the phrase tasting foreign on her tongue. She stood up and began pacing, her index fingers quickly tapping together. Itachi took note of this, realizing it was serious, whatever she was trying to say. He had been taking note of this for a while.

"Alright," he prompted, letting her know that she had his full attention. There was nothing around to interrupt them, except the furious pounding of her heart.

"You see…" She stopped pacing and looked away from him. "I lied to you on that first day of work about my real last name." When she heard nothing from him, she continued. "It is not Uzumaki as I said. I was so nervous and was scared you would know what family I belonged to. I was terrified that you would fire me, or that I wouldn't be able to do my job."

"Well, obviously, that is not a fear anymore," he prompted quietly. His voice was even, not angry. "What is your real last name?"

"It's Hyuuga," she told him sadly. "I was the Hyuuga heiress up until several years ago when I handed it down to my sister." She waited for his outburst, unable to turn and face him. But there was nothing more than the softness of his footfalls on the ground as he approached her.

"Well I am glad you told me," he said touching her elbow, grabbing her arm so that she had to face him. His face held soft amusement. Had he known all along? She felt extremely foolish if he did. He pulled her into his arms, her face burying in his warm chest.

"I am so sorry I lied," she cried softly. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her breaking back. "I just wasn't sure how to tell you."

"It is alright," he explained gently. He knew her given name was Hyuuga, but that made little difference to him. He knew almost nothing about the family, hardly reading the part of the paper they were reported in. "I figured as much. I have done the same thing in your shoes," he confessed.

Hinata had to look up at him for a moment. Itachi? He lied about his name as well? Though given all of the press he had received long before, she couldn't blame him either. "You?" she questioned, drying her eyes.

"Yes, my first job interview, I accidently told the CEO of the company which I now own, that I was him. I was so nervous I used his name directly to him instead." He patted her head comfortably, brushing the hair back, keeping a tight hold on her with one arm. She laughed lightly, cheering up.

"So you're not angry with me?" she asked, just to be sure.

"No, I am not mad. It hardly matters to me what your family name was, when soon you'll be carrying mine." He kissed the top of her head gently. _Uchiha Hinata_. She liked the sound of it rolling it around in her mind. He had recognized it right after she began working for him, but did not point it out to her. He had attributed it to first day jitters after reviewing her file. He didn't bother delving further.

In fact, he had almost forgotten about it until now. He should have been reminded of it when he began to take her to the benefits and he had wondered about her past. No wonder she did not seem as out of place as she should have. It was trivial and he could hardly abandon her based on a name.

A few more tears rolled from her lavender eyes, but they were of relief and not shame. Itachi kissed them away, holding her soft hands in his. If Sasuke was planning on using that against her, then it wasn't going to work. However, what if Sasuke was going to use something else? After dinner he would try to get his younger brother alone.

"Is that all you have secret from me?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so," she smiled. She couldn't think of another thing that he didn't already know. "Except that I don't see my father or sister anymore because they don't want to see me."

"They don't want to see you?"

"No, not at all."

"Well they sound like horrible people. You don't have to see them either," he teased. She laughed and smacked his chest lightly. "Come on let's get back to the house before they miss us." Hinata felt better than she had felt in a long time, feeling as if she could walk on air, as they made their way from the gardens back to the house.

X

That night, Hinata fell asleep in Itachi's childhood bed comfortably beside him. He watched, restless as her beautiful pale face turned toward the wall and she pulled the blanket a little further with her. His long, slender fingers were still entangled in her long, silky tresses where he had been stroking them until she had drifted off.

He figured his brother was still awake though, as he and Madara had been sharing a game of Shogi with their father watching. The game could have gone on forever between those two.

But he didn't want to leave the peaceful Hinata. Her body held it usual warmness against him, fitting like a missing piece. He allowed his fingers to rest on her soft face while he gently untangled himself from the sheets and slipped on a robe.

He crept through the familiar hallways toward the expansive living room, past all the pictures of him and Sasuke from their childhood. He missed those days. There was still a warm glow shining through the hall and screens.

"Oh evening Itachi," Madara smiled, looking up from the novel he was reading from his bed on the floor. Sasuke was nowhere in sight and Itachi didn't want to risk waking up the house heading for his room.

"Evening Madara," Itachi nodded as he sat down on the floor not so far away. "I'm not intruding on you am I?" he asked.

"Nah." He closed the book, marking the page with a slender finger, quite similar to Itachi's. You could tell they were related. He gathered back his long, messy hair and allowed it to fall around one shoulder. Itachi played with the ends of his lengthy ponytail as well, while he was contemplating how to phrase his inquiry.

"Do you know what Sasuke is planning?" he asked, his voice low enough no one else could hear him, should they be wandering around at this hour.

"Itachi, if I knew what he was up to, I would tell you but I am just as in the dark as you are," he shrugged. He quickly explained about the younger Uchiha stopping by his office. Madara had never lied to him before and wasn't likely to do it now. Itachi blew some ever-present loose stands of hair out of his face as he lay down on the floor, arms behind his head.

"I figured," he said as he chose his next words carefully. "Madara, if I do end up with father's shares, would you like half of them?"

"Would I ever! But what is the catch?" he questioned, raising one dark eyebrow.

"No catch. I just want more time with Hinata," he spoke, allowing a smile to touch his delicate lips. He was quietly thinking there would be time for at least one child to stay home more often for, once all the press died down and after the wedding.

"You really love her don't you?"

"Yeah, I really do. I just hope Sasuke doesn't do anything too stupid this weekend." They shared goodnights and Itachi returned to bed just as Hinata rolled over to curl against him. He snuggled close to her, drifting off himself in her scent.

X

**Author's End Note:** So? What will happen now? Your thoughts?


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the continued support! I love responding to each and every one of your reviews and please don't feel like you're bothering me ^_^ I swear my face lights up every time I check the inbox to find them there! I'm just so delighed that you guys love this story as the updates wouldn't be possible without you! Please continue to offer encouragement as I write faster when I hear from you.

About this chapter: More of just a filler chapter, all leading to the hectic chapter 15. This was more just to offer a look at how Hinata is spending her weekend, when she is not worrying of course. The faux fight in the middle is more symbolic of course, I'm sure you can figure out what to as I believe I mention it somewhere there.

Also, I know you've read chapter 10 so you know what goes on there XD This chapter will contain M rated material in the form of sensual nature ;] So, if you're underage, blah blah, "don't read" disclaimer. It's after the X in the middle of the page here, after the fight. But I wanted to offer a little bit different type of scene/setting here than in chapter ten, although they'll be similar, just a look at _that_ side of the relationship XD So, the descriptions will be similar and yet different, because of the setting and pace. Just bear that in mind.

Anyway, that's pretty much it. Just fleshing it out more before the big drama ^_^ Gotta mix it up a bit. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters. I do not own the title of this fic. No money is made from this.

I remember to say though, I apologize if anyone is OOC as these are my interpretations of them, adjusted to fit an AU storyline and this plot as well as changed roles and such.

Please remember positive or constructive criticism ^_^

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 14

All weekend long Hinata tried to push Sasuke's threat to the back of her mind. She had told Itachi everything she knew. Why was she still worrying? Her gut twisted into painful knots every time she thought about their private conversation on Thursday.

The younger Uchiha was not to be taken lightly; she could tell he had some sort of plan he was going to reveal at the end of the weekend. She just hoped it wouldn't ruin the wonderful time Itachi was having with his family, her own happiness pushed completely aside.

Some of her time was spent exploring the house, looking at old photos with Mikoto. There were so many that Hinata wanted copies of. Her favorites were of the brother's together when Itachi was in middle school and Sasuke was in elementary. She could picture easily, how it must have been to grow up in this house.

There were plenty of pictures of the brothers reading together, Itachi holding the book and Sasuke pointing excitedly at the contents. Her childhood had never been punctuated by a scene as happy as this. Itachi often gave his brother piggy-back rides, the two of them laughing and smiling.

She laughed anytime she saw Itachi ruffling Sasuke's hair in a picture, as the younger Uchiha's face was priceless. There were happy pictures from summer festivals; the brother's hugging after Itachi's return from summer camp. The boys' attempts at photographing each other were humorous, such as Sasuke taking pictures of Itachi opening a can of soda or Itachi capturing Sasuke kicking at the camera.

They even had pictures with Madara, always pulling some sort of wicked prank on the boys. Or if he wasn't actually pulling the prank in the pictures, he had just pulled it and was going to reap the benefits or punishment of his plan.

Hinata couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of their happy memories. Most of her pictures showed an extremely bashful and unhappy child, awkwardly posing because she was scared of the camera; if she were in the pictures at all. Hanabi enjoyed the attention so much more.

But she could see, when Itachi left for college, just how unhappy Sasuke seemed to become, how much the brothers did not smile. If they were in pictures together, Sasuke seemed to be shooting daggers at Itachi every time, if he wasn't trying to argue with him. Itachi always seemed to be carved from stone; his expressions grew increasingly darker and stoic.

"It is nice to see Itachi smiling again," Mikoto told them as they finished going through the photo albums. Hinata nodded her agreement. The family pictures had made her smile as well. She could tell that Mikoto and Fugaku were so proud of their sons.

"You didn't show her pictures of Itachi's naked rear did you?" Madara asked as he walked outside holding several antique kunai knives, several in each clenched fist. Hinata dared not question what he was planning to do with them.

"No, she showed me yours," Hinata shot back, having warmed up to his sense of humor.

"Glorious isn't it?" he joked as he disappeared out the back door. But she had seen the Uchiha brother's baby pictures, as well as the occasional bath picture. She felt it wise not to remark about how much Itachi's rear end had not changed, at least, in front of his mother.

Unfortunately, Hinata still had homework to complete while on their weekend trip. Dutifully, she spent a few hours on it every day until it was completed. It wasn't all bad, just reading and drawing. She used the natural landscapes and house as the basis for her current inspiration.

"How are things going?" Neji asked as he had called her cell phone one night. He had known Hinata would be away for the weekend. He wasn't happy about it, but he could do nothing to stop it as he stirred plain rice in a pot to keep it from sticking to the bottom.

"Oh they couldn't be better," she smiled, watching Itachi spar lightly with his father in hand to hand combat. It was almost poetic, or like a dance. She could see Sasuke's jealous eyes as they caught her own for a brief second. "The house is just beautiful. I'll have lots of new pictures to show you."

"Wonderful," he said evenly, glancing around at his own apartment, which somehow felt emptier than usual tonight. He guessed his neighbors were gone until late as their loud television set was not blaring through his walls. "And his family?"

"They're very nice." The backlight of the sinking sun was casting long shadows across the Uchiha men in the garden, giving them impression of two different sights. "I like them."

"Yes, but do they like you?"

"Of course," she smiled. But Neji remained unconvinced until she finally brought him around with descriptions of how meeting his parents went, while he analyzed the situations. Then she explained various other activities she had engaged in with the family so far.

"Well Hinata-chan," he sighed, rubbing his temple, "it sounds like they adore you." That was as close to Neji's blessing as she was going to get. They spoke a few more minutes before they shared goodbyes and Hinata deposited her phone into her pocket.

"Would you like to try Hinata-chan?" Madara asked, all kidding aside as he gestured to where Sasuke was fighting his father now. The younger man had a type of fierceness his brother lacked. He was determined to give a better performance.

Hinata had tried years and years ago with her own father, in hopes that she would claim the family line of dojos. She was sad to say that she was a miserable fighter. Hanabi had kicked her ass plenty of times and she had taken some rather hard injuries.

Her own father had been a prized champion as well as perfecting and teaching ancient family techniques, not to mention his own style. Over the years he had fought and trained hundreds of wealthy and talented individuals, as well as police officers and military.

From a young age he had insisted that there was no hope for her, though he still tried for a time. But eventually, he came to fully believe his own words and stopped her training altogether, which Hinata had found a bit of a relief. He instead, settled for marrying her off to the first eligible bachelor that would have her, faults and all. But obviously that had failed as well, and so he wrote her out of his life before she brought dishonor to the prestigious family name.

Neji, who had never undergone the training, figured it out and began to perfect his uncle's sacred techniques. He was a force to be reckoned with on campus and so most avoided fighting him.

"You're not asking her to join in your games are you? How crude," Mikoto teased as she appeared on the back deck, carrying a tray laden with tea for everyone. "I'm not sure Itachi would appreciate damaging his fiancée."

"No, I would not," he smiled. "I would have to take my vengeance out on all of you."

"I'm not afraid of you," Madara told him, rolling his eyes. Faster than the other man could track, Itachi grabbed him from behind, an arm circling his neck and a kunai pressed hard to his jaw while Madara stood stock frozen, his mouth dangling unattractively open.

"I think you should be," Itachi breathed.

"Now now boys," Mikoto chided as Fugaku joined her on the deck, grabbing a cold cup of tea and sitting down on the steps. Itachi released him as he moved instead to put his arms around Hinata.

"You're not too scared to fight are you?" Sasuke asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"No," she said darkly, showing she still remembered.

"Then how about you fight me?" he said playfully.

"How about we both fight you?" Itachi interjected, trying to keep the mood light. He knew if he faced his brother on his own, then the fight might end at the hospital.

"Whatever," Sasuke said sullenly. He moved into a beginning stance. Hinata wasn't sure what Itachi meant until he began to position her like a puppet only he didn't relinquish his hold once the fight started.

His hands guided her arms perfectly, as she had seen him fight with his father. She just allowed him complete control as their breathing mixed in the chilly night air. But she couldn't stop the feeling that she was just in the middle of their private fight. She was just a tool.

Sasuke was unable to attack around Hinata as he wanted to, longing to draw blood from his brother. Hinata was unable to tear from Itachi's arms. Itachi was unwilling to back down to Sasuke.

It therefore ended in a draw, both of them holding the kunai to each other's throats. Hinata could feel the cold metal of the deadly sharpened side pressing into the softness of her flesh before it was pulled away.

"Good show!" Madara called clapping his hands into the empty air. The Uchiha parents eyed their sons warily as the three of them climbed the steps back into the house. If it looked to them, like it looked to Hinata, then this weekend could end in a disaster yet.

X

It was the last night of their visit, Saturday. The next afternoon they would be heading back to his apartment. Hinata was going to miss their time spent in his parents' home, the family atmosphere, feeling as if she belonged, and she hoping that she truly did.

The couple was secluded in Itachi's room, resting on his bed after the evening's activities. She was resting comfortably against his bare chest as his hands roamed her wet hair absentmindedly. She was not used to having his hard body against hers yet and so every time they touched it was still like the first time for her. She wondered vaguely if she would ever take it for granted.

She smiled up at him as he kissed her forehead, then her eyelids, nose, and lips. Itachi could taste the faint traces of her jasmine body wash as he slowly inhaled her skin, committing the scent to memory. Her lips were still just as supple as he gently drank them.

Soft sounds rose in her throat, trapped by the cavern of her mouth and their combined tongues as he gently probed. She couldn't believe they were actually behaving this way in his parents' home, but his gentle insistence was hard to resist. Her questions of 'what if' his mother walked in and found them this way died unasked on her lips, something awakening in her.

His powerful body began to cover hers, his hands resting on either side of her head as his kisses grew more heated on her wet lips and jaw line. She was still like a drug to him; he had to have more once he had a taste; his own antidepressant. It was subconsciously part of his dominating nature.

Itachi gently dipped his mouth to the luscious curve of her neck before he began to trail further. Her hands tangled in his hair, hoping to have some effect of where he would choose to suck and gently nip away as she sighed gently amongst the pillows. He could feel something awaking in himself as well, his boxers tightening uncomfortably.

The thin material of her soft floral print nightgown was no match for his mission. He slid the straps down her shoulders gently with his mouth, his nose gently teasing the pallid landscape beneath it. He smiled as her fingernails raked through his hair gently, her back arching familiarly, her perky breasts brushing his chest.

He ghosted his mouth across the surface of her skin, as he nudged the tops of the gown down below the mounds, listening to her breath catch in her throat, her body squirming beneath his. A wanton moan threatened to break free from her bitten lips as she restrained it, only just. This was delightful torture.

Already he could smell her womanly scent before he buried his face between the twin peaks, licking and sucking any skin he could wrap his mouth around. Her hands held him fast; he knew she loved this. Hinata could feel her toes curling as he took one of her hardened buds in the warm cavern of his glorious mouth, pulling with his perfect teeth.

Just when she thought she might explode, he switched sides, pulling the other awakened blossom inside, gently swirling that devilish tongue around. Her eyes were threatening to roll backwards into her head, her body on fire. Itachi could only smile, knowing he was the only one to cause her this much pleasure.

Itachi continued his descent on her body, alternating between licking and kissing the pallid, flawless skin right down to her navel, his fingers pulling the dress down slowly. The dress was his enemy, shielding such a beautiful body from his view. Hinata always saw summer fireworks behind her eyes every time they met in bed.

Her fingers managed to trace soft lines on his sweaty skin or tangle in his loose locks. The worn out nightgown was sliding down her hips to be deserted on the floor and his mouth was continuing. He gently spread her legs apart, taking a calf on each shoulder and lowering his head.

"No, don't," she gasped, realizing where he was going to place his mouth. Her period was finished, but she was always shy about his mouth venturing that far. Itachi merely smiled at her, his hand gently playing with the silky plum curls there, his fingers gently spreading her inner most region.

"Don't worry," he said quietly, his eyes darkening with lust. She could feel his hot breath before his mouth locked on, sucking as she whimpered. Itachi could taste her fully now, delighting in the sweet treat. Hinata's mouth opened and closed automatically, unable to make sounds as a pleasant chills spread through her body.

"Itachi," she breathed softly. He continued to prepare her body, his hands gently working her legs and hips as well in circles. The bed groaned every now and again with their movements or changing weight. Hinata thought she wasn't going to be able to contain herself if he didn't pause soon. He relished in the soft moans leaving her wet lips, the slightest twitch of her body when something felt good.

It was a cruel game of teasing her, testing her to see how far she would go before making a sound. She was trying to contain her exuberance at his actions but it was almost impossible. He wanted to push her to the very brink, relishing in the almost teenage danger of being discovered.

Eventually, he stopped, lowering her legs back to the bed, and standing to remove his black silk boxers. She watched from her sweaty post on the bed, the material gliding slowly down the muscles and to his ankles, exposing his manhood to her prying eyes.

She flushed with color as she looked away. She still couldn't believe that she belonged to this man. Itachi still found this endearing, as he slowly crawled back up the bed and positioned his body over hers. His lips found hers as he slowly eased himself into her tight, warm body, her buttermilk legs wrapping around his slender waist.

This time, she did release a small cry, but of pleasure and not pain. She had craved him inside of her the last few days, her walls holding him close, pulsating in her darkest cavern. Itachi loved the feeling of being at the most intimate with her, their bodies joined as one. He never tired of it. This was where he belonged.

As he gradually built his speed, their lips met heatedly. Hinata lifted her body so that she could feel more of Itachi. They were creating art, a beautiful painting with their bodies. His hands sought her hips, holding her firmly as his thrusts grew more erratic.

She loved the confidence and power he exuded when he would take her like this. He was dominating and that was extremely attractive. Their breathing was harsh, sweat sliding off their skin, as flesh slapped together.

Her fingers wrapped tightly in the long silky strands of his hair none too gently as his thrusts moved her bodily into the bed, sometimes scratching his back or holding his neck. Her legs were spread fairly wide, her knees able to touch under his arms if she tried, her toes delicately pointed.

He licked and sucked every available surface of skin as he moved within her, his arms supporting his weight. His long body brushed against hers repeatedly, the contact encouraging him. He couldn't stop arching his own back or groaning in complete pleasure.

Her walls squeezed him almost to the point of becoming painful as her release shook through her. His seed filled the cavern soon after, making her feel satisfied and whole as he kissed her hard. He allowed his head to fall into the crook of her neck as she hugged him close, gently rubbing his back or stroking his hair.

Hinata rolled into his arms, despite their heat, and snuggled close as they resumed their original position. Itachi whispered his love in her ear, smoothing her hair back into place. His room now held one more great memory, he smiled. He hoped they could do this every holiday they returned for.

But as he tried to fall asleep as easily as she had, something prickled in his gut that had nothing to do with the consummation of love they had just exhibited. The weekend as almost over; he should have been excited, but he couldn't shake the feeling of dread so easily.

Itachi lay awake for another hour, trying to reason with himself that he had nothing to fear. But was he so sure, even after he shut his eyes for the millionth time that night? It plagued him like a fox to a hen house.

X

Author's End Note: So, please let me know what you think ^_^


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! I'm finally back after forever. I'm not dead I promise! I deeply apologize for taking so long to add another installment to this story. It still has a few more chapters left.

I got hung up on what I wanted to happen between Hinata, Sasuke, and Itachi. But, the idea struck me the other day and so I started fleshing it out. Then I couldn't stop writing, even though finals are here and I have tons of artwork to finish up and submit for grading. So do expect me to be back and updating this a bit more, as well as working on my other stories and adding new ones.

About this chapter, I hope you like it. It might be a tad melodramatic, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It was like a movie playing in my head, the dialogue filling itself in. So please, no jumping on me about it. I do have a plan for this and I know how it will end. So please, just bear with me a bit longer :)

If I have missed anything, I'm sorry. It's late but I didn't think I could sleep until I finished this chapter and added it. More to come soon! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed ( I will be getting around to replying soon!) added to a community, faved, or alerted this story! I couldn't have made it without all your kind words and interest in this fic!

Please enjoy!

Translations: honorifics

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its associated characters. The title belongs to the Beatles. The plot line is of my own devising.

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 15

The next morning, Hinata awoke long before Itachi did, but she did not move from the bed. This was the day she had been dreading for months now, most intensely over the weekend. It was dark clouds on a sunny summer day, lingering in the sky, taunting with their bearing of rain and lightning.

She wasn't so much worried for herself now; she was more worried for Itachi. Would his family destroy him after all? But he was the strong one of their couple. Surely not. In a matter of hours they would discover his true strength.

But for the moment, she enjoyed the quiet hours of watching him breathe. When he slept, he appeared as a god at rest. She sometimes wondered if he was fully human and not something more, something she didn't deserve.

Out of everyone woman he could have possibly asked, he had eventually come back to her. The thought kept her warm in her darkest, most despairing moments. For once in her life, she was special. Sasuke would steal that away over her dead body.

Slowly, she crept from the bed and began to dress, leaving the door open to allow the rising sun inside one pale ray at a time. She picked a straightforward, flattering kimono from her wardrobe, though selecting a simple dress to don beneath it for the ride home.

For her twilight colored hair, she twined it around her graceful fingers into an unfussy up-do with matching pins, flattering her delicate face. She was the epitome of future loyal housewife. If they wanted docile and unchallenging, she would oblige them. It would give them no reason to hate her, despite what Sasuke might try to pull.

"You look wonderful," Itachi told her as he readied himself in a similar style. Her pale porcelain skin flushed with a warm glow as she looked away in humor. She was gathering the last of their possessions in their bags for an easy parting.

"Thank you," she murmured, thinking all the while he rivaled her beauty. He had donned an effortless robe that had probably been in the family for centuries, the silk preserved but well-loved. "So do you."

"You're too modest," he told her as he bent down to kiss her on the forehead. Some of his deep chocolate fringe brushed her skin in a familiar way.

"I'm going to miss your home."

"I am too. But hopefully we will be back soon right?" She nodded, hoping as well. But was it too soon? The gnawing feeling in her gut was reaching a fever pitch. Little did she realize that Itachi was experiencing the same apprehension. He still had not figured out exactly what his little brother was up to over the course of the weekend.

Would Sasuke have given up so easily when he realized how much Hinata meant to him? His gut said differently. It would be all the more reason for his brother to go through with whatever he was planning. In fact, they had probably helped somehow without realizing it.

"Yes, of course," she answered automatically, despite the worry.

"Then let's go settle this once and for all." There was no turning back. Itachi took her slender hand in his as they began the steady walk to the meeting.

X

Walking into the living space, Hinata had a panicky moment of heading into a den of wolves. She had watched too many nature documentaries growing up. She was not the rabbit being offered for dinner, was she? It caused her to pause for a second to gather her bearings before following Itachi.

Madara offered her a tired smile over his cup of green tea. He was in desperate need of coffee and couldn't wait for the flight back home. He could be getting a latte first thing with as much espresso as they would allow him in a single sitting.

Both Mikoto and Fugaku nodded in her direction from their seats together on the floor. She was glad she had dressed traditionally, so that she fit in. Itachi was definitely an Uchiha, as their clothes all seemed custom made for them, and they were all beautiful. She tried to hold her chin high as they took their places on the floor.

However, one person was missing from their number.

Itachi glanced around, narrowing his eyes, as he realized this fact. Not a good sign. Beside him, he could feel Hinata tense slightly as she came to the same conclusion.

"Where is Sasuke?" he asked.

"Your brother said he had something to do in town and would be here soon." Hinata seemed surprised though, remembering outside technology in the dated house. She had never thought of them having a phone all the way out here, though she remembered his parents had television in his parents' room when she had helped Mikoto with laundry.

Needless to say, no matter how silly she felt for the moment there was an even deeper unsettling feeling as if she had swallowed pure fish oil. Mikoto offered them tea while they waited. She smiled into her sip as she saw Itachi refuse his, due to the chilled temperature.

Mikoto made an attempt at polite small talk, about the weather and other family members, but it was very superficial, forced. She was just as ready as everyone to get the business out of the way for their final lunch.

Hinata's heart had begun to beat ever rapidly in her chest, thundering in her ears. She was sure there was something medically wrong with her for it to be a growing problem. She felt faint, light headed, and wondered if she passed out could they avoid business altogether and head home early.

"Good morning everyone," Sasuke's cold voice finally travelled through the thin screens as he slid the door open. Hinata's gut twisted painfully as a face she had not seen since high school followed him through the door, just as perky as ever.

Uzumaki Naruto was close on his heels, looking as smug as a cat with a mouthful of canary. No good was going to come of this, Hinata knew. She felt strangely at peace with the information though. In just a short while, it would all be over, for better or worse.

"Good morning Sasuke. Who is your friend?" his mother inquired.

"Oh, we'll get around to that," he explained, sitting down, dragging the blond with him.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. He recognized Naruto from the old days. He and Sasuke had been rivals all during school. Itachi had paid little attention to their squabbles. He had not thought of the younger man for some time until Hinata had brought up borrowing his last name.

That meant that she had been in his life longer than he realized. The thought endeared him as he waited for the conversation to begin, gripping her hand tightly. He realized he was probably close to breaking the bones in her fines and released his grip some. He could feel her shaking with her own barely restrained nervousness.

The share of the company wasn't important any longer. He was just ready to give it away, keep what he had, and settle down with Hinata. Sasuke could have it, if that's what made him happy.

"We'll start with Sasuke first, since he is the youngest." Itachi had a very good idea of what Sasuke might be up to, before he even opened his mouth. If Naruto was involved and his younger brother knew of her past, then it was crystal clear. Should he have opened his mouth then, his father would have found that inexcusably rude and he would have never had his chance to speak later.

"Of course father," he bowed, but there was little respect. Naruto clearly didn't know what was going on by the way he was eyeing the tea. "I'll start with _her_." Hinata involuntarily drew in a sharp breath. The glint in his dark eyes was enough to possibly give her nightmares for weeks.

"You know that Itachi and Hinata are engaged now of course," he drawled, standing up to pace.

"Yes, that's true. We read about it in the paper," his father supplied, suspicious of his son's intent.

"Well, you know she's his house keeper right?"

"Yes, we read the article Sasuke," his father patiently replied, though there was an undercurrent of annoyance.

"Well, did you know that she was married already and that this was an engagement of convenience?" There was a collective gasp and Hinata felt her heart stop a beat. This was the angle Sasuke chose? Itachi's blood boiled. "She was married to this man beside me, Uzumaki Naruto."

"What do you mean Sasuke?" Madara asked calmly. He had managed to keep a level head on his shoulders. Hinata risked a glance at the rest of the table. Fugaku looked positively livid; Itachi bore a similar expression; Mikoto was frowning deeply, the subtle lines around her mouth and eyes more pronounced; Naruto had his arms crossed, looking smug.

"Itachi hired Uzumaki Hinata, spouse of Uzumaki Naruto." He gestured sharply to the haughty blond on the floor. "She was already married and didn't tell anyone, not even her future husband."

"That's not-" Itachi attempted to interrupt.

"Where is your proof?" Madara demanded. After spending the weekend in her company, he felt protective over her as well. She was a very decent girl and he did not want to see either one of them hurt. He also did not want a repeat of the last family gathering.

"See for yourself." From his sleeve, he dropped a marriage certificate on the table, allowing it to flutter until it settled on the hard polished wood. Madara snatched it up, his sharp eyes scanning the document to affirm or deny its authenticity. "The papers will be running the article tomorrow, thanks to a friend of a friend. I have an advance copy."

He threw it on the table, splattering tea on every dry surface.

In bold print was her faux scandal with Naruto. They must have pulled one of her more embarrassing pictures from high school, for she gaped in open horror of her awkward teenage face splashed across the front page.

Her family must have been involved as well for him to gain access to this particular one. She wouldn't have been surprised if her sister had more than a helping hand. She felt sick, her heart leaping to her throat.

There was a wonderful write up about her life before housekeeping, then how she went from fame to rags, and a whole other host of lies dealing with her reasons for her quick engagement to Itachi. There would be no way she could prove or disprove the slander.

"She's the Hyuuga heiress," Sasuke continued, confident that he had won, although terribly underhandedly. "Did she tell you that? Did she, future in-laws? Or any of the other juicy details we dug up about her? Did she mention that her father is the reason our father had to leave work early? That she is the heiress to the man that wounded father in a fight at the dojo during training?"

Hinata could feel everyone's eyes on her now, but she refused to raise her delicate head. She could feel hot tears pricking her moonbeam eyes and it was exhausting all of her will power not to just run from the room. His family, while nice, did not know much about her. Her father's sins were not her own. She had nothing to do with Fugaku being wounded in a fight other than being born into the wrong family.

She had hoped they would trust her, but Sasuke was going to try the ice. From what Itachi had explained, his father tended to hold grudges. She didn't have a snowball's chance in hell now.

Itachi's expression was one of deep sorrow. He could not believe that Sasuke had planned this far, even securing a fake marriage license. He could not think of one thing to say to his brother now. He had been planning on providing him with his share. He knew that truth, but his parents, his mother so trusting and his father so opposite.

Her last name meant nothing to him in terms of negativity. In fact, it would change to his very soon if she would have him. He knew that she had nothing to do with her family, but Sasuke had touched a sore spot with their father. It would be nearly impossible to fix provided he took offense.

"There are lots of things she hasn't told you," Sasuke smirked.

"I suggest you shut your mouth now little brother," Itachi said, his voice no more than a deadly whisper.

"No," he snapped. "I won't. For years I have had to live in your shadow, my big brother the eclipse. Everything I have wanted you have handed to you." He knew he didn't normally behave in this manner, but he couldn't fight it anymore.

No one noticed Hinata slip from the room in the midst of the high tension between brothers. She padded quickly to Itachi's room, grabbing her bag hastily, and heading outside. She dialed a cab to come and pick her up, glad that she had brought her own money with her.

She couldn't stay in the house. She couldn't face his family. But most of all, she couldn't stand to watch the brothers fight.

There would be no way for her to repair the damage done. Everyone would read the papers and she wasn't even sure she could return to school alone. The cab driver did not try to strike up a conversation with her and she couldn't blame him.

The tears she had so bravely tried to hold back were spilling like a waterfall. She wanted to scream out of sheer frustration and shame. Instead, she bit her lip, miserable because instead of staying, she had run away.

She had not faced her fears. Itachi was back at his parents' home, defending her, and she was running away like a coward. She was so scared though. She was petrified of disappointing him, bringing shame to his good name. Hinata had tried so hard to please his family. She did not want to be a social burden with the mess Sasuke had made. All weekend she had been so brave, but there was a limit.

There had to be a plane leaving soon, so she could go back home and be with Neji. He had been right, all his fears justified, just not at the right family member. She needed to talk to him, to get his advice for what she should do. She also needed to speak with her family, try to do some damage control.

It wasn't fair for Itachi and his business to be ruined because of her, whether the rumors were true or not. She would at least handle that much. _My fight or flight instinct took itself literally,_ she thought as the plane climbed altitude later. _Running away probably wasn't such a good idea._ She wished she had not allowed instinct to take over and waited it out instead. _It's going to look worse than it already does because I'm returning alone to the pack of hungry wolves. _

By trying to do a good deed, she had instead brought more trouble for herself. A fresh batch of tears pressed against her eye lashes. No one questioned her tear streaked face as she watched the clouds below the silver surface. She didn't care though. Hinata was devoid of dignity now; Sasuke had made sure of that.

_I've just dug my own grave, now I'll have to lie in it,_ she thought bitterly.

X

Itachi had never felt such hate for his brother. He and Sasuke had been so close, but now he was almost certain he would never speak to him again after this weekend.

"Why would you spread so many lies?" he asked, his eyes flashing with almost palpable malice.

"Who says they're lies?" Sasuke snapped back. The brothers faced off for long moments, the silence almost deadly.

"I do," Madara interjected, waving the marriage license at the two brothers. "This is a very good fake Sasuke. Just like the crass you supplied to the newspaper."

"Sasuke, why would you do something like this?" Mikoto asked her hand to her mouth, the horror of her younger son's wrath, still plastered there.

"Because I wanted the shares," he told them sullenly. There was no use in hiding behind another smoke screen. It would be better to come clean now. But his victory did not taste as sweet as he had hoped.

"Bad enough to ruin your brother and his fiancé lives'?" Fugaku spoke quietly. It was the most he had said since it started.

"He had ruined my life father," Sasuke whined. He knew he sounded like a child, but he couldn't stop himself. He was trying to hold back the flood of shame.

"You told me that we were going to play a harmless trick on them," Naruto spoke up, his voice dark. "You said no one would get hurt. They look hurt to me. Hinata left the room." Panic shot through Itachi like a bullet.

In his rage he had neglected her. She was not beside him and his eyes searched frantically around the room. His mind reasoned that maybe she went to the bathroom or his room for a quiet cry and until the storm blew over, but his gut reasoned that she was gone.

"Sasuke I am disappointed in you," their father said, rubbing his temples. "But that doesn't even begin to cover the damage done to everyone in this room, and Hinata who is not."

"You know, little brother, I was going to let you have the shares and we could have avoided all this trouble," he confessed before he dashed from the living room in order to find Hinata.

Sasuke stood in a stunned silence as he watched his brother's quickly retreating back. A stab of remorse struck his heart and he crumpled to the floor. He had not wanted Itachi to disapprove so much. No matter how mature or how underhanded he acted, at the end of the day he was still the little boy who wanted to grow up just like Itachi.

By the time Itachi reached his bedroom, he knew he wouldn't find her. Her bag was gone, no note, anything to indicate that she had thought it through.

"The airport," he mumbled, grabbing his stuff as well. Sasuke had to make every family gathering special and this year was no exception Itachi realized. He exchanged goodbyes quickly before making his way to the airport as well.

If he was late in discovering how long she had been gone, then he figured he had missed her at the airport as well. Either she was back at his apartment or she had fled to family. He mulled over where he should check first when the private jet landed. There was a lot of damage to repair.

X

**Author's End Note:** Please tell me what you think (please keep it positive if at all possible). I know this was sort of a filler and stuff. It was a really difficult chapter to write with everyone fighting and upset. Cut me some slack XD I don't like angry characters! *sobs*


	16. Chapter 16 and Epilogue

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much everyone for the continued support! That's why, with a very heavy heart, I have to inform you, this is the final chapter. But everything gets resolved, though it is sort of cheesy. But I've envisioned this ending from the start... So I hope you enjoy it! I apologize for the very lateness of this update! I had lost the will to write for a while, as I had a death in the family. My own father passed away quite recently and I have just now started to pull things together to finish up stories and add more.

So, there's drama, tears, romance, ass-kicking, and a happy ending :) There will not be a sequel to this. I'm rubbish at writing them, believe me. Also, I don't tell you each and every thing that happened. I'll leave it up to you to fill in the gaps with your imagination :) Though you can guess certainly.

I'm very glad everyone has liked this fic, as I never dreamed when I began writing it about two years ago that it would be this popular. I am humbled by your responses and honored by all the feedback! It has given me courage to actually try my hand with getting some of my original romance work published (waiting to hear from eharlequin any day now on a paranormal story I submitted months ago...). But honestly, it was your reviews and favs and alerts that kept me going! So thank you very much!

Please check out my other stories. I will begin working on Harajuku Girl agian soon :) I will probably write more Itachi/Hinata fics like this in the future, even though I don't watch the show anymore or read the manga. Though I am going to try rereading and see if I get that spark back.

My standard: I apologize if anyone is OOC. This is AU after all and so they have to be adapted to another universe, though I try and keep them the same. Please, positive feedback and crit. Not negative or flaming.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters. I do not own the title of the fic or the lyrics within, it belongs to the Beatles. No money is made from this.

* * *

If I Fell

Chapter 16

"Hang on!" Neji called from the small living room of his apartment. He wondered exactly who would be calling on him, especially since Hinata was out of town with Itachi. It nearly knocked him to the floor when he opened the door and found her standing on the other side. "Hinata?"

"Oh Neji!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging on as if he were the last life preserver on a sinking ship.

"Hinata! What's wrong?" he demanded, falling back into the apartment with her. His blood was already pounding in his ears. If she were alone, then something dreadful happened with Itachi and his family.

She proceeded to tell him in a huge jumble of words, mixed with her tears, making her damn near impossible to understand.

"Slow it down," he urged, helping her to the couch. "I can't help you when I can't understand what occurred."

"Neji, everything is messed up. I've made a huge mistake." _Finally, _Neji thought, _she realized what a no-good lowlife that Uchiha is. _

"Continue," he nodded, eager for another reason to hate her fiancé.

"Sasuke ruined everything." _The younger one? _His hopes fell and he realized just how serious his cousin was about Itachi.

"What?"

"Have you read the morning paper yet?" Neji shook his head. He followed Hinata to the kitchen, where she grabbed it from his table. It had come that morning, folded so that he didn't see the horror splashed across page one.

"What happened, Hinata? What's going on?" She frantically pushed the paper into his hands before she started gathering things to make herself a soothing cup of tea with.

Neji had to take a seat before he fell down.

"That's what happened," she sighed, trying to get a grip on her tears. She needed to strengthen her resolve soon, before the wolves attacked.

"Hinata, these lies…"

"Sasuke," she answered as she gripped the steady surface of the counter.

"And our family."

"I know." He could hear something different in her voice, but he couldn't place his thumb on it.

"You aren't going to stand for this. I'm going to-"

"No, Neji. Not this time." Anger. Power. Maturity. "I want to take care of things myself. I just came here to ask you what I should do first." He smiled. Hinata was finally growing up.

She wanted advice, not counseling. Hinata knew some things were just beyond her control, like Sasuke ruining her entire existence. But trying to fix the problems was something she could and would do.

"Alright Hinata. Family first."

"Good, then I'm going to fix things right away."

X

Itachi arrived home to find the house empty.

He would have been fueling hope if he had actually believed her to be waiting at his apartment for his return. But it was a lackluster wish.

He dumped his bags beside the door and checked the answering machine. Fifteen messages, ten of which were from Sasuke. He deleted those. Three were from his parents. One was from Madara. The last was a telemarketer. He deleted everything.

When he was ready to talk, he would.

His heart sank a little further, realizing she had not even called him.

Itachi realized he had no real way of contacting her if she left. He hurried for his office to grab her employee file, hoping it would contain the address of her cousin she visited. If Hinata wouldn't talk to him, she would run to her cousin.

X

"She's not here," Neji snapped as he refused to open the door more than a crack for Itachi.

"Please, it is very important that I must speak to her," Itachi all but begged. He was desperate enough that he didn't care exactly how he sounded. He needed Hinata to know the truth, to make everything right, for his home to not be empty again.

"It is very important that you leave her alone right now." Neji started to shut the door, but Itachi slammed his foot inside the crack, muscling his way in. He let the other man walk around the apartment, searching for a few minutes. "She's not here, honestly," Neji told him pointedly, his pale eyes narrowing.

"Can you please tell me where she has gone then?" Neji could see the distress written on Itachi's face very plainly. He was actually suffering. How could he stand in the way of such possible happiness? Didn't his favorite cousin deserve something good in her life for once?

"She's gone to the family, once and for all."

"Oh no, this is worse than I anticipated." Itachi misunderstood.

"No, she's gone to tell them off."

Itachi stopped in shock.

X

Hinata paused outside the home of her childhood unhappiness. So much misery was soaked into those walls, it would never leave. It was a curse. She had escaped, only to return again. But it was necessary.

She knocked, listening as a lesser nameless servant came to the door to fetch her. Her father and Hanabi must have been expecting her after the news, to grovel at their feet. She clenched and unclenched her fists, centering herself, and calling up her courage.

It would all end today. She would be free for good in just moments she realized as she followed him down the long corridors to the family room. Her father and sister waited, side by side, equally snide expressions on their faces. Hinata was not surprised in the least. They both had a vast web of spies. They would know she was back.

"Come back to us my little prodigal daughter?" her father asked, taking in her distressed appearance.

"Only to set some things straight." This wasn't just for Itachi; this was for her as well, for her own future.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Did you finally grow that spine sister-sama?" Hanabi sneered.

"Yes. Much stronger than yours," Hinata shot back.

"What exactly do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" her father asked politely, though his hard eyes betrayed his true feelings.

"I've come to break my ties with the both of you, and to ask that you please stay out of my life."

"And what makes you think we have done anything to harm you?" Hanabi asked her voice sugarcoated like always.

"You two never do anything out of your way unless it is for personal gain. I know it was one of you that gave some of the information to Sasuke." Neji had called Naruto, as he used to tutor him back in the day. Naruto had confessed to knowing the full story by now.

Her father and sister exchanged worried glances. Now came time for the bluff.

"I have proof that I'm going to take to certain authorities," Hinata continued. "About lots of things." Neji actually had evidence that he had been gathering to black mail his uncle with, should he ever need to. "I'm sure they would be happy to know about all the pies you have your fingers in."

"You better stop before you get in over your head," Hanabi told Hinata darkly.

"Or what? You're going to hurt me?" Hanabi was just as predictable as always. With a growl, she launched herself at Hinata, who was ready for her.

In a basic self defense move, Hinata used her sister's weight against her, flipping her on her back so that she landed disgracefully on the hardwood floor. It had taken years of building courage, but Hinata finally had the upper hand in her life.

"Father!" Hanabi screamed from her position. It would bruise in many places.

"Father, I am not a little girl you can push around anymore!" Hinata yelled. Tears were threatening to break free, but she held her emotions in check.

"No, you are not." He was surprised, certainly. "Now you finally act like you belong with us."

"I do not belong with you though," Hinata told him angrily. "I never have been part of your world. I belong with my friends and my fiancé!"

"Then what do you wish Hinata?" Hanabi was trying to raise herself from the floor, sobbing out of anger and wounded pride. Hinata kept a foot on her.

"I want you to take back all of the mean things you've said over the years and to never publish another thing about my personal life that is no one's business. Mom would have never wanted that." Hanabi tried to rise again, throwing Hinata's foot off her chest. Instead, Hinata stepped on her sister's hand hard enough to break a small bone or two.

"We take back all of the things Hinata," her father told her, bowing forward. "You are so much like your mother."

"Thank you father," Hinata told him, meaning it. She left Hanabi to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "When we announce the wedding, I will send you an invite."

She started to leave, her heart a million times lighter. "Hanabi," she said lightly, "You will have to re-grow that spine you had sister-sama." Hinata left unhindered through the front door.

She threw her arms out in the sunshine, letting the light warm her face as she waltzed down the sidewalk. No more tears. She could face Itachi as a free woman now.

Itachi watched her, as he leaned against the side of the house. He had considered running inside, but it was Hinata's battle, not his.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he smirked.

"Itachi!" Her eyes flew open and she nearly fell. He rushed forward to sweep her into his arms. "How did you find me?"

"Your cousin."

"Itachi," she started. "I am so sorry for everything!" The tears she had not shed for her family were running down her cheeks unbidden. She was so proud she made it through that ordeal without crying that now she didn't care if he saw her this way.

"Hinata, you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, it is I who should apologize to you, on Sasuke's behalf." She laughed, though it came out more as an unladylike snort against his chest. Itachi was thrilled to have her back in his arms again.

"I guess our families have been rather naughty," she smiled as she looked up at him.

"We cannot stop them if they are." He smiled back, pushing her loose hair from her face then cupping her slender cheeks. "Hinata, I love you."

"I love you too Itachi." She snuggled into his embrace.

"Come back home with me," he requested. "Things will sort themselves out in time. But we have more important things to worry about."

"Like what?" Hinata asked coyly, though she was sure that she knew what he had in mind, her heart fluttering with anticipation.

"A wedding?"

"Itachi, you really want to marry me?" she teased. "The hired help?"

"I fell for you," he told her earnestly as he wrapped an arm around her waist, steering her for the car. "And I wouldn't choose anyone else."

X

The doorbell rang and Itachi had to drag himself from the luxury of Hinata's arms. Always with the interruptions! He could hear her padding behind him as they headed for the door.

"Please excuse my rudeness," Sasuke said as he fell to his knees in their doorway. Hinata and Itachi shared a look, wondering if this was a trick. Sasuke seemed fairly serious, risking a good pair of business slacks.

"Alright," Itachi said, crossing his arms over his chest. "What is it?"

"I have come to formally apologize to you and Hinata-sama both." He kept his eyes on the floor in front of him.

"Sasuke," Hinata smiled. "We forgive you. Just come in and let us close the door."

"Please, I particularly beg your forgiveness," Sasuke said stubbornly. He had made up his mind he was going to do this, weeks ago, after everything had calmed down, no matter how much it cost his pride.

He had the shares, but it was still a hollow victory if he didn't make up for his behavior at the family gathering.

"Sasuke, I forgive you," Hinata said softly, crouching down to his level. She kissed the top of his head as she drew him to his feet. "Now come in this instant and help us plan the wedding." His eyes widened then narrowed to their normal state as he followed them in.

He could see, tagging along behind them just how in love they were, despite all that had happened. His brother was finally happy.

Sasuke wished that he could find a person to settle down with, to be as content as his older sibling, to know true happiness.

X

Epilogue

All day guests had expressed their best wishes to Hinata and Itachi as they mingled at their wedding party. A year had passed since all the heartache before, and Hinata was still as in love with Itachi as the day she had met him.

The world was beautiful, the colors brighter.

Her father had shown up and behaved himself, though he and Fugaku did not exchange greetings. Some wounds take longer than others. Hanabi did not show up at all, despite her invitation.

Neji had given Hinata away, as it had been his blessing that mattered more than any other. He was trying things again with Ten Ten. Itachi's family had accepted her, no questions asked.

So far she had danced with Fugaku, Madara, and Sasuke. She had yet to dance with her own husband. They would be leaving soon to start their two week honeymoon. She had a surprise for him though he had already probably figured it out.

She was growing something inside of her, a seed of their love. And she was quite excited.

Hinata had finished school several months before, ready to start a career as an at-home artist.

Things were going well.

"There's my beautiful wife," a delicious voice said from behind her, as slender arms snaked around her waist.

"Itachi, there you are. I've been waiting."

"I had a song request," Itachi told her, as he spun her around gently, so that he could see her beautiful face. These days she had been glowing. He had a theory or two as to why.

"Really?"

"Yes." He spun her around slowly, his hand resting gently on her waist, the other leading. Soon they would be starting on another journey of life together, she realized as she watched the party around her blurring slightly, a different and wonderful journey into parenthood.

'If I fell' by the English Beatles played on in the background…"If I fell in love with you, would you promise to be true, and help me understand…"

The End

* * *

**Author's End Note: **Thank you so much everyone, once again, I cannot stress that enough! I'll see you around soon with my other fics :)

**UPDATE: **As of this year I have gone back and edited the original content a bit, removed the Japanese words I had scattered in it and such. I am trying to reread the manga now and have felt a bit of the old spark back. Have nearly a whole chapter done for Harajuku Girl which should be up soon.


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